Micron kicks off 1st CNY Community Week, announces investment fund
Micron Technology is set to host its first ever CNY Community Week this week, featuring five days of events focused on STEM education, community engagement and career opportunities. Each day of the week will feature a different focus. Leonardo Eriman I Senior Staff Photographer
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Micron Technology will host its inaugural CNY Community Week starting Monday, featuring five days of events focused on STEM education, community engagement and career opportunities.
Each day of the week will have a different focus, including a careers in tech event, a STEM festival and local volunteering opportunities, according to the Museum of Science and Technology’s website.
Micron hosted a kickoff event for CNY Community Week Friday, where it announced a $35.5 million community investment fund, according to a Friday release. The Green CHIPS Community Investment Fund will create new housing, a Centro commuter bus line from downtown Syracuse to the Micron complex and local educational partnerships.
“These investments reflect our focus on building lasting opportunities alongside our historic mega-fab semiconductor project,” April Arnzen, Micron’s executive vice president and chief people officer, said in the release. “Micron is helping to ensure that the growth benefits everyone in the region.”
The event comes amid a call for more community involvement in the area as Micron continues to battle a lawsuit against Jobs to Move America. The lawsuit addresses concerns over Micron’s commitment to the local community and its regional environmental impact.
The week’s activities will begin Monday at Onondaga Community College, where Micron invites local middle and high school students to learn more about the company, technology-based careers and hear from former NASA Astronaut Jeanette Epps, according to Micron’s website.
The event will be offered again on Tuesday at North Syracuse Junior High School for students in the North Syracuse Central School District and neighboring counties.
This follows Micron’s past community engagement and education-based initiatives for students. For the past four years, Micron has hosted a Chip Camp, where students learn about semiconductor and circuit building directly from Micron engineers and local college professors.
In previous years, Micron has also held a Girls Going Tech mentorship and education program aimed at encouraging more female students to pursue tech careers.
The company will host information sessions at CNY Works, a nonprofit employment center, and OCM BOCES, an educational cooperative, on Tuesday, detailing the project’s job opportunities and qualifications for Micron’s construction projects. The sessions will also discuss the benefits of joining unions and review resume and interview strategies.
On Wednesday, CenterState CEO Chief Executive Officer Rob Simpson will host a tech talk on artificial intelligence and Micron’s global business reach, featuring guest speakers from Micron.
Micron will host volunteer-focused events on Thursday, partnering with local nonprofits. In collaboration with the Food Bank of Central New York, attendees can help prepare bags of food for children in the Syracuse City School District. The company will also discuss its volunteer opportunities and assemble hygiene kits at the Onondaga County Public Library.
The week will end with a STEM festival at the MOST. With free admission to the museum, attendees can expect STEM-focused activities, food trucks and a “Micron DECONSTRUCTED” exhibit.
