Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1487920
52 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2022 launching a scholarship program for women enrolled in universi- ties and colleges. e scholarship provides free Altium Professional Training and Altium Designer licenses. Currently, 50 women are enrolled in the pilot program, from countries including Brazil, India, and Pakistan. e first year goal is to provide over $1 million in grants to 175 women students worldwide. For the second year in a row, you are pro- viding soware for the finalists in the IPC Design Competition, while also being involved in the PCBeeChange Global Design Compe- tition. is contest is co-sponsored by Altium, the IPC Education Foundation, and Arduino. Tell us about it. Yes, this is our second annual PCB design contest focused on Innovation for Envi- ronmental Change. Last year we had an amaz- ing turnout with 87 teams from 17 countries. It was fascinating to see the projects and designs coming from high school and college students from around the world. We are delighted to support emerging engi- neers in this way and we are looking forward to an incredible turnout this year as well. We launched the contest in August and competi- tion winners will be announced mid-Decem- ber. ere are two categories—high school and college—with first prize of $1,500, second prize of $750, and third prize of $500. Addition- ally, Arduino will supply a free Arduino Porte- nat H7, and we will manufacture the winning Upverter designs for free, an estimated value of $2,500. e winners' designs and finished products will be displayed at the Altium/IPC Design booth at IPC APEX EXPO 2023. Our engineers and staff will be on hand to answer technical and design questions as the students finalize their design submissions and prepare their team presentations. We will present the results jointly with the IPC Education Founda- tion. We're expecting over 250 students to attend. Are your classes primarily online, in person, or a mix- ture? e education curriculum, including an Altium Design- er student license, is available to students free and online at Altium Education. Universities and college instructors are also integrating the curriculum into their course syllabuses as well. What are the biggest technical challenges for PCB designers today? e biggest challenge for emerging engi- neers and designers is access to profes- sional tools and, more importantly, training on the basics of PCB design and the electronics design process from concept to manufactur- ing. Many students graduate with engineering degrees but no hands-on experience or knowl- edge of actual PCB design. ose who are able to learn PCB design skills and understand the collaboration needed throughout the design process will be at a big advantage as they search for a job and launch their careers. Any closing thoughts? We have been recognized for our ability to equip educators and students with an innovative virtual electronic design curricu- lum and engineering learning solution. is unique approach to education has been cele- brated for its ability to empower educators and students alike. Altium received the Gold Stevie American Business Award in 2021 and 2022, as well as the EdTech Cool Tool 2022 and EdTech Breakthrough Awards in 2021. DESIGN007 Rea Callender