It is no surprise that semiconductor companies like Micron Technology understand the need for a future workforce that can meet the demand of the industry. It’s crucial to ensure students are equipped with relevant, future-focused education that is essential to sustaining innovation. To do this, partnerships between education and industry, like those taking shape between Boise State and Micron, are more important than ever.
That collaboration is already underway. Boise State’s Microelectronics Education and Research Center (MERC), in partnership with Micron and the Idaho Workforce Development Council, recently launched the groundbreaking Chip, Chip, Hooray! for Educators professional development training based on Chip, Chip, Hooray! curriculum for students.
Over the course of four days, 21 middle and high school educators from Idaho and New York gathered on campus to explore the Chip, Chip, Hooray! curriculum, gaining hands-on training, resources, and insights to bring back to their classrooms. Two faculty members from Northern Arizona University also joined to bring back the program and curriculum to their community. The student-facing course designed in partnership with Idaho Digital Learning Alliance (IDLA), intended for 8th to 10th graders, was built to align closely with industry expectations. More than 300 professionals contributed to its development, ensuring that the content not only meets national and Idaho science standards but also prepares students for real-world opportunities in semiconductor fields.
But before students can benefit from these resources, those teaching them must be equipped with the knowledge and confidence to teach them. That’s why providing learning opportunities to teachers, nationwide, is essential to reaching this larger goal.
As one teacher from Boise poignantly put it, “there is so much going on in our electronics I didn’t realize was possible.”
“Chip, Chip, Hooray! for Educators highlighted the multiple applications of the semiconductor industry to education. It was eye opening and so useful to me in my role!” said a New York teacher following the workshop. One professor from Northern Arizona University added “No one else in the country is doing this type of cross disciplinary effort to expose educators at all levels to the semiconductor industry.”
During the training, teachers visited Micron, toured Boise State’s Idaho Microfabrication Lab (IML), and engaged in hands-on activities to deepen their understanding of the course content. They also began developing classroom-ready materials they can implement as early as this fall. Additionally, each teacher received a full class-set of kits that include microcontrollers and simple circuitry components, bringing interactive learning to their students. After the conclusion of the week, they were able to earn professional development credits by completing the course and follow up.
Partnerships like this are critical. Not only do they provide meaningful professional development for educators, but they also ensure students receive education that reflects the real needs of the semiconductor industry and its future workforce.
“At Micron, we believe that empowering educators is one of the most impactful ways to shape our world. Our collaboration with Boise State University and Idaho Digital Learning Alliance on Chip, Chip, Hooray! for Educators is a powerful example of how industry and academia can come together to inspire and train the next generation,” said Kami Faylor of Micron, director of social impact and community engagement for North America. “By equipping teachers with real-world tools and insights, we’re helping them spark curiosity in the classroom and prepare students for meaningful careers in the semiconductor industry.”
Providing teachers with hands-on experience is key to helping them bring both knowledge and enthusiasm about the semiconductor industry into their classrooms. Equally important is ensuring access. To remove barriers, the program covered travel and accommodations for participating educators, making it possible for more teachers to take part without worrying about cost. With logistics handled, they were free to focus on what mattered most: learning.
This effort marks just the beginning of a broader push to make high-quality semiconductor education materials widely available to K–12 educators. The ultimate goal is to build a national ecosystem that supports and sustains semiconductor learning from an early age. The collaboration between Boise State’s MERC and Micron serves as a powerful model for what’s possible, and what’s needed, across the country. Only through this kind of strategic partnership can the U.S. education system rise to meet the demands of a rapidly expanding workforce pipeline.
“There is nothing more important than getting our own homegrown students invested in their own future,” said another New York teacher. “This was an incredible opportunity, and it is my sincere hope that my fellow science educators can be inspired like I was to bring purpose and passion to their classrooms as we make STEM education exciting, relevant, and accessible to our students.”
Teachers from New York were highlighted on Syracuse’s local news station, WSYR, on July 22 2025. Click the link to watch the story and hear more about the incredible experience.