In a key move to inspire the next generation of innovators, the Osceola School District has become the first school district to join the SEMI High Tech U Certified Partner Program (CPP), a curriculum that prepares high school students to pursue careers in STEM fields. Under the program sponsored by the SEMI Foundation, the Osceola School District will independently deliver HTU programs to local students at the Osceola Technical College Campus in Kissimmee. To win the certification, the district delivered SEMI High Tech U over the past three years with guidance and instruction from SEMI. SDOC is only the second organization to receive the certification, which recognizes organizations that provide quality training and can recruit and educate local high school students in the value of careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.

“SDOC’s partnership with the SEMI Foundation gives young people and families in our community exposure to high-tech career opportunities and the educational pathways to reach their goals,” said Osceola School District Superintendent Debra Pace. “Our industry partners – including Mercury, the University of Central Florida, BRIDG, Osceola Technical College, imec, Neo City, Florida High Tech Corridor, and the Education Foundation Osceola – have all made it possible for our district to offer this amazing opportunity to students.”

“We are delighted to partner with the Osceola School District in our common goal to motivate the next generation of innovators,” said Leslie Tugman, Executive Director of the SEMI Foundation. “The School District of Osceola County is well-positioned to put college-bound high school students on a track that speeds the time from graduation to employment in high technology industries. The district’s certification is a tremendous benefit for its students, the community, and employers in the fast-growing Central Florida tech corridor.”

The nonprofit SEMI Foundation has been delivering its flagship program, SEMI High Tech U, at industry sites around the world since 2001 to emphasize the importance of STEM skills and inspire young people to pursue careers in high-technology fields. HTU students meet engineers and STEM volunteer instructors from industry for site tours and hands-on classroom activities, such as etching wafers, making circuits, coding, and training for professional interviews.