Celebrating the Future of STEM on Manufacturing Day 2024

In honor of Manufacturing Day, we’ve compiled recent news announcements of programs and investments in STEM education.

• Intel and the U.S. National Science Foundation announced in August an investment of $7.6 million in six projects at higher education institutions to build a strong semiconductor workforce. The goal of these projects is to boost equitable access to STEM education and training through scholarships, academic support programs, the development of an electronics technology certificate and more. Learn more about each project here.
• In order to bolster manufacturing education, Missouri is awarding $9.1 million in funding to three higher education institutions for the Bridging the Manufacturing Critical Skills Gap project. Missouri University of Science and Technology will be the lead institution, and East Central College and St. Charles Community College with serve as partner institutions. The funding will support the modernization of manufacturing curriculum, the construction of a Center for Advanced Manufacturing, the implementation of new technologies and equipment and the creation of STEM outreach efforts for K-12 students and teachers.
• Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown and Congressman Mike Turner announced last week an almost $2 million investment in the University of Dayton awarded through the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The investment will strengthen the growth of the University’s Southwest Ohio Integrated Microsystems Workforce & Research Center and provide training and equipment to support advanced manufacturing education for students training in the semiconductor industry.
• The U.S. Department of Education and NASA last week kicked off the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, an interagency collaboration to bring STEM education to after-school programs. The goal is to inspire student interest through hands-on learning and problem solving through engineering design challenges. The program is looking to bring this learning opportunity to approximately 1,000 students in over 60 sites across 10 states.