Community Relations
Whether furthering science and math education, supporting the neighborhood, or reaching beyond the immediate community, SEMATECH looks for ways to sustain positive change.
Emphasis on Education
Education is certainly at the top of the list in SEMATECH's community involvement mission- especially efforts in math and science.
SEMATECH helped underwrite the costs for science equipment for the new University of Texas (UT) Charter School in East Austin, run by the UT Austin College of Education. We also helped sponsor students' participation in the Capitol Schoolhouse, an annual program designed to expose state leaders to the potential and best practices of educational technologies. During this exciting experience, student-teams from over a dozen school districts showcased their technology programs in the Rotunda of the Texas Capitol and attended legislative events. Texas high school girls also experienced engineering firsthand while participating in "Encounter with Engineering" hosted by The University of Texas Society of Women Engineers and underwritten by the generous donation of SEMATECH.
Sharing excitement about science and
math is a natural fit for SEMATECH. In
addition to providing financial support
to programs, SEMATECH volunteers have
shared their time, talent, and expertise
to provide rich learning experiences
for children and adults. During the spring
Regional Science Fest, "Exploring the
Endless Frontier," SEMATECH
hosted a hands-on exhibit to raise the level
of awareness in both schools and the
community of the high-tech industry as
an exciting place for future careers
in science, math and engineering.
Through its participation in the Semiconductor Executive Council (SEC), a collective effort between industry, education, and the community to address the education and workforce development needs of engineeringand technology-based industries in the central Texas area, SEMATECH partners to cultivate long-term excitement for math and science.
Community Development
SEMATECH actively works in other areas to enhance the surrounding community, including hundreds of volunteer hours and individual contributions to local efforts.
United Way
SEMATECH employees and assignees
are extremely generous and creative with their giving to the United
Way Capital Area. In addition to their monetary contributions,
teams of volunteers from SEMATECH fanned out across the community
during a period of three weeks, spending over 250 hours of volunteer
time in a variety of projects to help vital community programs.
The unique combination of generosity and a willingness to roll
up our sleeves made this year's campaign one to remember.
Meals on Wheels and More
SEMATECH regularly provides a band
of volunteers to deliver lunches through
the Meals on Wheels and More program, servicing four routes in our immediate
area. During the summer months we buy new fans for clients on
our routes.
Capital Area Food Bank
Through food drives and team building
events, SEMATECH employees also provides
support to the Capital Area Food
Bank, which provides food and other grocery products to more
than 280 agencies in Central Texas.
SafePlace Walk for Safe Families
Each year
SEMATECH employees, assignees, and their families gather to help
raise awareness and money for SafePlace during the annual SafePlace
Walk for Safe Families. SafePlace gives women, children, and men
support as they begin the process of living violence-free lives
through counseling and prevention programs.
Neighborhood Clean Up Efforts
Each year SEMATECH participates in Keep
Austin Beautiful’s Clean Sweep, teaming
with AMD, Praxair, Tokyo Electron, and the Attorney General’s
Office to clean up the area surrounding
our facilities in East Austin. In addition,
SEMATECH employees and their families
have spent numerous weekend hours supporting
other clean-up efforts in the Montopolis
neighborhood.
Handmade
Security Blankets
A group of SEMATECH employees recently
organized an ongoing effort to make handmade security blankets
especially for children in distressed circumstances. Through the
gifts of these hand-made blankets and afghans, lovingly created
by SEMATECH volunteers during their lunch hours, organizations
such as Project Linus and Hospice-Austin have been able to provide
a special sense of comfort for children who are ill, traumatized,
or otherwise in need.
For more information about the volunteer
program, contact:
Christie Cochren
SEMATECH, Inc.
2706 Montopolis Drive
Austin, Texas 78741
512-356-3654