From June 10-12, 2025, the Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering hosted a hands-on professional development workshop for five Illinois high school computer science teachers. Led by Professor Molly H. Goldstein and held in the ISE Product Design Lab, the three-day event was part of the national SCALE K-12 initiative, which supports teachers in integrating microelectronics, cybersecurity and circuit design concepts into their highschool STEM courses.
SCALE K-12 (Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement in K-12) is funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and was launched in response to the 2022 CHIPS Act. The program aims to build early interest and competency in semiconductor education and related fields by exposing students to trusted microelectronics at an early stage, and helping them build foundational skills in logic, programming and systems design.
"The University of Illinois was a perfect location to hold our workshop because it has a very rich history of semiconductors - home of the LED, transistor and integrated circuit." - Professor Goldstein
The Illinois summer workshop introduced five teacher partners to the “Guardians of the GRID” curriculum, a project-based unit in which students act as security consultants for a fictional microelectronics company. Over the course of three days, teachers worked through the curriculum by building circuits, using Micro:Bit microcontrollers with Microsoft MakeCode, applying Boolean logic and exploring sensor inputs and outputs.
“The University of Illinois was a perfect location to hold our workshop because it has a very rich history of semiconductors - home of the LED, transistor, and integrated circuit,” said Goldstein. “It was very impactful to bring the workshop to Champaign so that we can better serve our teacher partners in the area. Not only was this a convenient location for our teacher partners from east central Illinois, but we also spent time in the Product Design Lab with design prototyping and 3D printing, and we were able to visit the HMNTL, which is one of the top facilities for microelectronics research in the world.”
One of the most engaging elements of the workshop was the active participation of Tom Kiesel, a teacher at University High School and co-author of the Guardians of the GRID curriculum. “Tom co-authored the curriculum with the SCALE K-12 team last year, and we saw his implementation in the spring,” said Goldstein. “He is a fantastically creative and insightful high school teacher who was able to share his experiences for the newer teacher partners. In general, all of the teacher partners were very engaged with the Micro:Bit and coding. We also had a lot of fun playing with conductive tape and conductive thread.”
In addition to technical training, the workshop gave teachers a preview of how the unit can be integrated with high school computer science, engineering and math courses. Goldstein and her team also provided teaching strategies and shared insights on pacing, student engagement and classroom setup.
Each teacher received a classroom kit valued at over $1,000, including enough materials for 30 students to complete the unit. Participants also earned professional development hours and a stipend for attending the workshop. Those who fully implement the curriculum during the 2025–2026 school year and submit feedback will receive an additional stipend in spring 2026.
The University of Illinois, and specifically Professor Goldstein's lab, provided an ideal environment for this type of learning. The hands-on nature of the workshop, combined with a collaborative setting, gave teachers both the confidence and resources to bring this technical content into their classrooms.
As SCALE K-12 prepares to expand nationally, the University of Illinois remains a key site for teacher training and curriculum development. The program continues to build momentum as part of a larger national effort to ensure the U.S. has a well-prepared, tech-literate workforce ready to meet the challenges of the future. To learn more about SCALE K-12 or future workshop opportunities, visit scalek12.org or follow @SCALEK12 on social media.