SUNY Oswego will receive $1 million from the Micron Community Investment Fund over five years to launch a transformative regional initiative to strengthen STEM education and career pathways across Central New York.

The initiative will establish the SUNY Oswego Regional Teacher Bootcamp Program in collaboration with the Oswego County Center for Instruction, Technology and Innovation (CiTi) BOCES and Onondaga-Cortland-Madison (OCM) BOCES. It will strengthen teacher preparation to support a continuous STEM pipeline from kindergarten through higher education, helping better prepare students for college and careers—particularly in the rapidly growing semiconductor and advanced technology sectors.

The proposal builds on SUNY Oswego’s recent successes, including:

  • The university’s Instructor Bootcamp, which trained industry professionals to become effective workforce educators and achieved an 88.9 percent completion rate across seven cohorts.
  • A STEM curriculum enhancement initiative that integrates semiconductor-focused learning into engineering programs.
  • The establishment of the SUNY Oswego Regional Center for STEM Excellence, launched with funding from Micron to expand professional development for teachers and hands-on STEM opportunities for K–12 students.

“Micron continues to demonstrate its strong commitment to education at all levels and to the transformation of our region,” said SUNY Oswego President Peter O. Nwosu. “This funding will help advance our Vision 4040 goal of expanding access to higher education and creating opportunities that meet the current and future needs of Central New York.”

“The SUNY Oswego College of Education, Health, and Human Services is delighted to partner with Micron, BOCES and school districts across Central New York to enhance professional development for educators,” said Laura Spenceley, dean of SUNY Oswego’s College of Education, Health, and Human Services. “Through this funding, we will align programming to empower classroom teachers in building classrooms that engage all students in STEM learning and expand the ways in which our students are prepared for careers in the STEM sector.”

These efforts are paving the way for a broader, more coordinated regional strategy to meet the needs of Micron and the many other initiatives supporting the largest economic development project in the history of Central New York, Spenceley said.

Serving the region

The initiative responds to key challenges identified by educators and industry partners, including:

  • Gaps between classroom learning and industry workforce needs
  • Barriers limiting access to STEM opportunities for underserved students
  • The need for more hands-on, experiential learning
  • Limited ongoing professional development connected to industry

Through these efforts, the program aims to increase student participation in STEM learning, improve educator capacity and create clearer pathways from early education to careers in advanced technology fields.

The collaboration will serve thousands of students and educators across Oswego, Onondaga, Cortland and Madison counties, strengthening alignment between education systems and employers such as Micron. By fostering a more connected and inclusive STEM ecosystem, the initiative should help ensure that all students — regardless of background — have access to meaningful opportunities in high-demand careers.

The program is expected to launch development activities in summer 2026, with professional development offerings beginning in spring 2027.

Micron’s regional support

SUNY Oswego’s grant was part of $35 million in Micron community investments for Central New York announced March 27 by Governor Kathy Hochul under the company’s broader agreement to establish the largest semiconductor manufacturing facility in the United States in nearby Clay.

These awards represent the first grants from the historic $500 million Green CHIPS Community Investment Fund. Initiated by Governor Hochul as a core component of Micron’s participation in the Green CHIPS program, this fund ensures that the region’s growth translates directly into housing, workforce development and job training for all Central New Yorkers. 

“As we mark Micron’s inaugural Community Week in Central New York, these investments reflect our focus on building lasting opportunity alongside our historic $100 billion mega-fab semiconductor project that is creating 50,000 jobs,” Micron Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer April Arnzen said. “Housing, transportation, workforce development, education and childcare are essential to economic growth. Working with Governor Hochul and local partners, Micron is helping ensure that the region’s growth benefits everyone.” 

About SUNY Oswego

SUNY Oswego is a pioneering 165-year-old institution in the State University of New York system. The university, which has campuses in Oswego and Syracuse and a robust online academic presence, enrolls around 7,000 students in more than 170 academic programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels across its College of Business and Entrepreneurship; College of Communication, Media and the Arts; College of Education, Health and Human Services; and College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Engineering. 

For more information on SUNY Oswego, visit oswego.edu.