Parents with high-tech careers teach math, science at schools (Arizona Republic article)

April 13, 2006

By hammersmith

[Source: Colleen Sparks, Arizona Republic]— High-tech jobs are the wave of the future, and students need to hone their math and science skills to prepare for careers in computers, experts say. Because schools are often strapped for cash, making it hard to get the latest software and other technological tools on their campuses, sometimes they turn to parents for help. Parents who work at Intel, Microchip Technology Group, and other high-tech companies are lending their expertise in the classrooms, helping their children and other students get excited about technology.

Sometimes companies and parents will even donate software, computers and other gear to the schools. “As a parent, I know how important it is for kids to learn about computers because we all use them in our daily lives in our jobs,” said Jim Ziegmann, an Intel employee who volunteers at Arcadia High School in Phoenix. “I know the schools are seriously underfunded. And Intel is a huge corporation, and they are based here in Phoenix.”

Volunteering at their children’s schools is also a labor of love for parents. It gives them a chance to bond with their child, get to know their children’s peers and teach them technological lessons that will help them in real life.