CHANDLER, Ariz. — Hamilton high school is making sure its students get a head start in the tech field. 

Starting in the 2025 school year, the Huskies will host what is believed to be the first semiconductor manufacturing class for high school students in the nation.

“These opportunities are few and far between,” Hamilton High School Principal Domonic Romero said. “This is a unique opportunity. These are not happening at every school.”

The semi-conductor manufacturing class will take over two classrooms and will be surrounded by glass walls for others to watch from the outside. 

But according to Janet Hartkopf, the Chandler Unified School District’s coordinator of emerging technology, it’s what’s happening inside that room that’s truly special.

• A selection of “mechatronic” systems and their eight-part assembly line machines.
• Training devices to simulate pneumatics sensor machines.
• A line of soldering machines.
• A universal robotic arm that students will be training on.
• Ceiling-mounted power systems that can be moved where they’re needed

Best of all, this high-tech equipment isn’t going to break the school’s bank. The computer manufacturing giant ‘Intel’ is sponsoring the program and is donating equipment for the class. When school is not in session Intel workers will have the ability to utilize the space for its professional work.

“Hopefully bring in more students and see what CUSD is doing as far as technology, but also just to give students a different option,” Romero added.

This class is being made possible by Hamilton’s ‘Career and Technical Education’ (CTE) program and CUSD chose Hamilton to host it. A student can take this class for two years to get an industry certificate which they can use to go work at Intel or use it for college credit. 

“Not everybody’s college bound anymore,” Romero said. “We’re seeing that trade school and those jobs are on the rise again. So, we want to be on the forefront of that of making sure that we are taking care of our kids and setting them up for success.”

Hartkopf told 12 News HHS is shooting for 100 students to fill three to four classes. However, principal Romero says the program will be as big as it needs to be.

The qualifications for students to register for the class are being enrolled in or have completed Algebra II. Counselors are currently registering students for the class.