Sparking a revolution: Preparing Arizona’s future workforce starts with today’s educators
Artificial intelligence may dominate today’s headlines, but behind every AI breakthrough is another key technology quietly powering it: semiconductors.
As Arizona’s $200+ billion semiconductor industry continues to grow alongside AI innovation, educators have an opportunity to help students discover careers shaping the state’s future.
Academia Preparatoria ASU partners with higher education and industry leaders to bring innovative professional learning opportunities to Arizona educators, helping connect classroom learning with emerging careers in AI, microelectronics and advanced manufacturing.
Preparing educators for Arizona's technology future
Everyone uses AI. Few understand the technology behind it.
To help bridge that gap, ASU Prep recently worked with partners to offer two professional learning programs for 30 educators from schools and districts across Arizona.
En AI & Semiconductor Summer Institute, jointly hosted by the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University y Rio Salado College and sponsored by Intel®, El National Science Foundation and other industry partners, offered a three-day, in-person experience featuring hands-on learning, industry tours and expert-led sessions.
KJZZ 91.5 FM featured the Summer Institute, highlighting its focus on preparing educators for Arizona’s growing semiconductor workforce.
En Semiconductor Educator Fellowship, funded by Intel and led by ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, offered an eight-week online professional learning experience with an optional three-day, on-campus component for high school and community college educators.
Together, these professional learning experiences equipped educators with industry knowledge, hands-on experiences and classroom-ready resources they can use to inspire the next generation of innovators.
“Our primary vision was to strengthen Arizona’s advanced technology workforce by immersing high school STEM teachers in the rapidly converging fields of AI and semiconductor technology,” said Aviral Shrivastava, professor in Arizona State University’s School of Computing and AI and lead organizer of the Summer Institute.
The Summer Institute directly targeted the ‘AI Disconnect,’ the reality where everyone interacts with generative AI daily but lacks awareness of the physical hardware backbone, manufacturing processes and specialized chips making it possible.”
Learning by doing
“This experience stood apart because it traded passive academic lectures for active, hands-on learning and direct dialogue with industry leaders,” Shrivastava said.
Educators engaged in interactive sessions led by local CEOs and ASU faculty conducting cutting-edge microelectronics research. They built, trained and deployed AI models using Python on their own machines before touring the ASU MIX Center, where they explored how advanced media production relies on powerful computing technologies.
Participants also visited Intel to see firsthand how semiconductors are designed and manufactured while learning how the company collaborates with local communities to preserve water, increase vegetation and support Arizona schools and neighborhoods.
Designed to be accessible to educators with little or no prior experience in AI or semiconductors, both professional learning experiences made complex topics approachable while connecting classroom concepts to real-world careers.
The lecture, class discussion, application and industry visit—todos aspects of the institute were meaningful. There was a balance of lecture and application.”
Turning learning into real opportunities
The goal wasn’t simply to teach educators about AI and semiconductors. It was to help them bring those concepts back to their students.
Participants left with action plans they could use right away in their classrooms. Some planned lessons to help students see how AI affects their daily lives, while others created advanced projects linking machine learning and semiconductor engineering. Many also planned to update their curriculum, build industry partnerships and share resources with other teachers.
Project Manager of Strategic Initiatives at ASU Prep Corey Dorsey explained the goal is to equip educators with the knowledge and resources to spark student interest in AI and semiconductors while helping them see a pathway into Arizona’s growing technology workforce.
Thank you for the experience of learning about AI and its implications on the future of industrial technological development and how it will impact all our students.”
Creating a seamless pathway to Arizona careers
These learning programs do more than help teachers grow. They are part of a larger effort to connect students’ curiosity to future careers.
As Arizona’s investment in semiconductor manufacturing and AI continues to grow, so does the need for a stronger talent pipeline.
This vision relies on K–12 schools, colleges and industry partners working together. These partnerships are helping create a smoother path from classroom curiosity to college programs and careers in Arizona’s growing tech workforce.
One of the goals we’re working toward is creating a pathway where students and teachers know their next step if they’re interested in microelectronics. From elementary school through college and into industry, we want that journey to feel seamless rather than wondering, ‘What do I do next?’”
Continue the journey
MicroSpark 2026 returns this September, bringing together educators, researchers and industry leaders for two days of hands-on workshops, interactive demonstrations and classroom-ready strategies for teaching emerging technologies.
Stay tuned for more information about this year’s event. In the meantime, explore highlights from MicroSpark 2025 to see how educators are bringing microelectronics learning to life.
Help shape the future of STEM education
Interested in bringing AI and microelectronics learning to your classroom?
Stay tuned for registration details for MicroSpark 2026 and explore how ASU Prep Global is working with the Arizona Department of Education to help educators prepare students for the workforce.
