Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1212069
46 I-CONNECT007 I REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2020 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE by Barry Matties I-CONNECT007 Through the STEM Student Outreach Pro- gram, IPC invites high school students to visit IPC APEX EXPO for a day. Last year, they had about 100 participating students, and this year, it doubled. The program is designed to intro- duce students to our industry at a younger age. During one event planned for them, the stu- dents had a chance to participate in a hands- on soldering track, creating wearable buttons to take home with them. Students then toured the show floor, where they rotated through various education tracks, receiving real-world technical skills training in soldering and cod- ing, designing, and assembling PCBs. They also enjoyed a career panel during lunch and a presentation by Dr. John Mitchell, IPC presi- dent and CEO. This event is organized by the IPC Education Foundation. Participating groups this year included Mis- sion Hills High School, Morse High School, North County Trade Tech High School, Saint Marcos High School, E3 Civic High School, Point Loma High School, Otay Ranch High School, Mount Miguel High School, Otay Ranch High School—Girls in STEM. Sponsors of this year's event included Foxconn Interconnect Industries, Nordson, Panasonic, TTM Tech- nologies, Weller Apex Tools, and I-Connect007. _________________________ One STEM Teacher's Perspective During the event, I had a chance to interview Kathy Schultz, a teacher from Point Loma High School, who accompanied her engineering stu- dents to IPC APEX EXPO as part of the STEM Student Outreach Program. Barry Matties: Kathy, you're here with your school. How many students do you have attending the STEM Student Outreach Program today? Kathy Schultz: I brought about 20. Matties: What was the inspiration to bring your students? Inspiring Next-generation Engineers Through STEM