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APRIL 2019 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 59 decide whether a large profit margin that will attract critical investors is an acceptable moral tradeoff when affordably priced products will save additional lives, for instance. Because teams are challenged to determine their project focus, the program enables stu- dents to dig deep into their passions and in- terests in a way that conventionally-defined curriculums frequently don't allow. By provid- ing this degree of agency over educational ex- perience, the program simultaneously gener- ates interest in STEM-based subject areas and channels that interest into the pathways that bring FlexFactor students back to our industry partners as future talent. FlexFactor's class-based structure also allows the program to circumvent common issues that plague conventional STEM-based initiatives, such as lack of gender and racial diversity. By eliminating self-selection as a criterion for par- ticipation, the program engages populations of students who had not previously considered tech-based careers, catalyzing and orienting a diverse pipeline of talent and a new generation of industry leaders. The program's high-impact touchpoints in- clude field trips to both an industry partner, such as DuPont, and a college or university. Through active engagement with cutting-edge technology and higher education, students go through enduring and transformative experi- ences that translate the idea of a career from an esoteric concept to a visualized goal with a path to achievement. DuPont's Silicon Valley Tech- nology Center in Sunnyvale, California, hosts FlexFactor stu- dents every few weeks through- out the school year. Boasting an Innovation Center that show- cases DuPont materials and in- teractive prototypes alongside operating application labs that can be opened for touring, the Center is the perfect venue to draw students into the incred- ible potential of the advanced manufacturing sector. Through a combination of personal en- gagement and immersion in the fascinating world of advanced technologies, the Center and its team bring advanced manufacturing to life. Diverse and formidable topics—such as product design, material properties, environ- mental testing, and manufacturing process- es—become approachable and understandable through the humanizing combination of en- gineers and showroom prototypes. Advanced drones created with lightweight polymers, hybrid-electric and autonomous vehicles, and other example products help students under- stand the purpose behind advanced materials. Over several hours, students are pulled into the potential of DuPont's advanced materials that can transform the way we build, travel, and communicate. The most often-asked question by the end of the day is, "What do I need to learn to work here?" And after their industry tour, each class visits a college or university to learn exactly that. After spending a day touring a campus, meeting student ambassadors and instructors, and learning about STEM and business pro- grams related to the advanced manufacturing field, students depart with the understanding they need to chart their own education path- ways towards their career goals. "FlexFactor allows us to contextualize education pathways for students, and college becomes a tool for them to achieve concrete career objectives," explained Dean of Workforce Development at