Announcement - WILTON, CONN., October 25, 2023
ASML is expanding its latest technology education program, the ASML Junior Academy, to the United States.
The goal of the program, which launched in the Netherlands in 2022 in collaboration with STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) enrichment provider Mad Science, is to enhance the quality of STEM education and expand its access for children.
Now the program is making its US debut, launching in Connecticut – home to ASML Wilton. ASML is investing $2.2 million over three years to, with our partner Mad Science, provide free interactive technology education lessons to children ages 4 to 12 in Wilton and surrounding communities.
With the aim of nurturing the next generation of STEM thinkers and sharing the joy of discovering and working in technology, Mad Science instructors and volunteers from ASML Wilton will lead classroom workshops at 30 campuses within the Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk and Wilton school districts this year. By its third year, the program is anticipated to expand to 50 campuses.
This means that over three years, more than 13,000 children in the US are slated to receive six experiential technology lessons on STEM-related topics. ASML believes that ensuring more children have access to technical education will help prepare them for an increasingly digital future.
“STEM education introduces children to the various applications of technology, sparking interest in technical fields and cultivating essential skills,” said Louis Lu, head of ASML Wilton. “With the launch of ASML Junior Academy, we are helping to ensure that children in our community have the opportunity to see what technology is all about and become aware of the applications of STEM in their daily lives.”
The US launch of the ASML Junior Academy builds on the success achieved to date by the program in the Netherlands. Last year, about 19,000 children at 58 schools in the Netherlands’ Brainport Eindhoven region participated in six interactive technology lessons. This year, more than 50,000 students across 146 campuses are slated to receive lessons. Recently ASML announced plans to increase the target number of students slated to receive free lessons through the program to 180,000.
“Through the ASML Junior Academy, we connect to the curious minds of children by giving them a first taste of the marvels of technology,” said Lucas van Grinsven, Head of Society & Community Engagement at ASML. “Providing opportunities to educate and build confidence in embracing a digitalized world will enable children to pursue their passions across all levels of education.”
Learn more at the ASML Junior Academy page.