Semiconductors run nearly everything in modern life, and the United States needs to expand its workforce in this critical field. Recognizing that, the University of Maine recently hosted high school students from across the country for a camp in Portland focused on semiconductor design and production.
The free five-day program at the Maine Center brought together 22 students from as far away as California to explore the field through lessons, experiments, circuit building and games designed to make the material engaging and approachable.
Students also toured industry partners including Texas Instruments in South Portland and heard from representatives of IN2FAB Technology, a Portland-based company specializing in circuit design and semiconductor intellectual property security.
The camp was co-led by UMaine assistant professor Prabuddha Chakraborty and professor Rosemary Smith as part of a National Science Foundation-funded project. The summer camp was designed not only to inspire students, but also to refine a semiconductor curriculum and create resources that will be freely available to learners everywhere.
Semiconductors are central to artificial intelligence, communications, health care and national security. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association and Oxford Economics, the U.S. semiconductor industry is projected to have between 60,000 and 100,000 unfilled jobs by 2030 — underscoring the need to attract and prepare the next generation of workers.
“We need the younger generation to be interested in studying and manufacturing different things related to semiconductors,” Chakraborty said. “The world of semiconductors is very broad. Students need to understand concepts from domains like physics, mathematics, chemistry, chemical and electrical engineering, and more.”
Campers met UMaine alumni now working at Texas Instruments, including recent graduates who shared their experiences studying engineering at the university and transitioning into careers in semiconductor production. For many of the high school students, it was their first exposure to the wide range of career paths available in semiconductors — and the opportunities that exist close to home as well as across the country.
Organizers plan to expand programming in Maine and Texas over the next two years, growing the number of campers and further developing the interactive tools, including AI-driven games that can adapt content to individual students’ interests and strengths.
The success of the camp relied on broad support from educators, alumni, local business leaders and staff at the Maine Center, as well as industry partners Texas Instruments and IN2FAB Technology. Their involvement, organizers said, gave students a real-world look at the semiconductor industry and showed them that opportunities exist in their own communities.
This programming would not be possible without funding from the National Science Foundation to UMaine and its partners, Southern Methodist University in Dallas and Indiana Institute of Technology in Fort Wayne.
Contact: Daniel Timmermann, daniel.timmermann@maine.edu
