SciTech Institute and Avnet team up to boost STEM skills in Arizona

ARIZONA – SciTech Institute, an organization focused on improving, promoting the value-added and importance of STEM education, announced its partnership with global technology distributor and solutions provider Avnet to expand the footprint of the Chief Science Officers (CSO) program to new locations in the United States and internationally.

According to the Arizona Commerce Authority, Avnet is investing in the CSO program to support expansion at four Avnet centers over the next two years in areas near Chicago, Illinois; Gaffney, South Carolina; Leeds, United Kingdom; and Guadalajara, Mexico.

Arizona’s CSO program has become a model for growing STEM ecosystems, empowering students in grades six through 12 to be STEM ambassadors in their schools, the community and private industry. In just seven years, the project has expanded to 11 other states, along with international chapters in Kenya, Kuwait and Mexico.

The project currently has about 1,000 students, 600 in the United States and 400 internationally. The partnership with Avnet underscores the powerful intersection between industry and STEM education.

One of the pillars of the program is to encourage students to pursue a career in science and technology, while empowering them to use their STEM skills to make a positive difference in their world.

“Avnet sponsors SciTech’s Chief Science Officers program because we share a common goal: to build productive career paths for young adults within the STEM field,” said Phil Gallagher, CEO of Avnet. “By expanding this exciting program to more regions, we are not only helping more students develop their skills, but we are also engaging our employees as mentors, speakers and examples of success in the high-tech industry. That experience can serve as a guide for years to come, both for students and our own employees.”

“The support of innovative companies like AVNET, along with the Arizona Commerce Authority and the Arizona Technology Council Foundation, have helped make the CSO program a global success,” said Steven G. Zylstra, President and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council. “Most importantly, this expansion will allow more young adults to discover their passions, be ambassadors for science and technology, and explore new STEM career opportunities.”

The CSO program was launched in 2015 in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority and the Arizona Technology Council.

Source: MEXICO-NOW Staff