Chip Camp Program Offers Boise Region Students Opportunity to Work With Micron Engineers and Scientists and Learn About Designing and Manufacturing Semiconductors

BOISE, Idaho, Jun 15, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX News Network) — Highlighting the company’s commitment to education and the regional Boise community, Micron Technology, Inc., (Nasdaq:MU) today kicked off its tenth anniversary Chip Camp for Boise area seventh and eighth graders to learn more about the intricate business of designing and manufacturing semiconductors and integrated circuits.

Hosted by the Micron Foundation, Chip Camp was created to make science and technology a stimulating experience and expose students to the semiconductor industry, ideally influencing student course selection during high school to include challenging math and science course work. This year’s three-day Chip Camp sessions will run June 15-17 and June 22-24 at the Dehryl A. Dennis Professional Technology Center in Boise and will serve 120 students from 40 different schools.

In the sessions, students will participate in hands-on activities related to semiconductor manufacturing, including building a DRAM array simulation, building a circuit, programming for robotics and working with diodes and transistors. The sessions conclude with a tour of the Micron campus where students see engineers and scientists at work in a semiconductor production environment. The students will also hear on the last day of their camp experience from renowned teacher and astronaut, Barbara Morgan.

“Micron is committed to engineering the future for local teens in the disciplines of math and science,” said Dee Mooney, executive director of the Micron Foundation. “Chip Camp exposes these students to the various uses of Micron’s semiconductor solutions in their everyday lives, and we hope that experience sparks a passion in our youth for science and technology.”

Since the inception of Chip Camp, more than 1,000 students have participated, and graduates include Boise students who have gone on to study engineering in college. The program is largely run by Micron employees who volunteer their time. This includes Micron President and Chief Operating Officer, Mark Durcan, who meets the students on the last day of camp to hear more about their experiences. In fact, Chip Camp is so popular in the Boise area that registration fills up each year in about a week.

About Micron Foundation

The Micron Technology Foundation, Inc., a private, non-profit organization established in 1999 with a gift from Micron Technology, Inc., is committed to the advancement of education and local communities. The Micron Foundation partners with educators to spark a passion in youth for science, technology, engineering and math; engineers the future for students; and enriches the communities through strategic giving where team members live, work and volunteer. To learn more, visit www.micron.com/foundation.