Multi-year partnership expands hands-on STEM learning for students, families and teachers across the region
Vermont Business Magazine GlobalFoundries (Nasdaq: GFS) (GF) today announced a multi-year partnership with ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain (ECHO) to support ECHO’s STEM Outreach Programs, with a focus on expanding access to STEM education and strengthening teacher development throughout the region. The partnership deepens GF’s longstanding commitment to the Vermont community and to building the next generation of innovators.
Through the collaboration, GF will help ECHO bring hands-on science, engineering and technology experiences directly to students, families and teachers, with particular emphasis on reaching rural and underserved communities where exposure to STEM careers has historically been limited.
The partnership is designed to help build a stronger regional STEM talent pipeline by increasing equitable access to STEM education while equipping educators with the skills and resources to deliver engaging, hands-on learning.
"Our future semiconductor workforce starts in elementary classrooms, at kitchen tables and at community events where a child first realizes that science and engineering are for them," said Dan Colello, vice president and general manager, GF Burlington. "This agreement extends GF's decade-long partnership with ECHO, rooted in shared values and a commitment to every Vermont student, regardless of where they live. We're proud to stand behind that mission and the teachers who bring it to life as we continue to grow advanced manufacturing right here in Vermont."
The initiative also advances the workforce development goals of the CHIPS and Science Act by cultivating the curiosity, confidence and problem-solving skills that lead to careers in advanced manufacturing and technology.
With this agreement, GF and ECHO extend a partnership that now spans more than a decade, a collaboration rooted in shared values and a lasting commitment to strengthening Vermont's communities and deepening STEM engagement across the region.
How the partnership makes an impact
The partnership supports ECHO’s STEM Outreach portfolio across four key areas:
- Expanding STEM access in rural and underserved communities through mobile STEM festivals and outreach programs that bring hands-on science and engineering experiences directly to students and families.
- Reaching thousands of K–8 students annually through classroom visits that provide inquiry-based STEM learning and introduce students to science, engineering and technology concepts.
- Strengthening teacher capacity through ECHO’s STEM Teacher Institute, a year-long professional development program that includes workshops, coaching, classroom modeling and graduate-level coursework. Participating teachers report significant increases in their STEM teaching skills, classroom STEM opportunities and student interest in STEM.
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Providing ongoing support for educators through professional learning communities, STEM resource kits, lesson plans, and collaborative networks that help sustain high-quality STEM instruction over time.
“This partnership with GlobalFoundries is transformative for ECHO and for Vermont’s young learners,” said Ted Lawson, executive director, ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain. “Five years of sustained support means we can plan boldly, sending our educators deeper into rural classrooms, putting hands-on engineering challenges into more students’ hands and giving teachers the training and tools to spark lifelong curiosity. GF’s investment connects the dots between the wonder we cultivate on the Burlington waterfront and the high-tech careers being built just down the road.”
Beyond the classroom, the partnership strengthens GF’s presence in the community and reinforces a shared commitment among education, families and industry to grow Vermont’s innovation ecosystem.
About ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
Opened in 2003, ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is an innovative science and nature center located on the Burlington, Vermont waterfront. ECHO’s mission is to inspire and engage everyone in the joy of scientific discovery, the wonder of nature, and the care of Lake Champlain. Each year, ECHO welcomes approximately 160,000 visitors and provides formal STEM training for more than 15,000 students and teachers statewide. Through interactive exhibits, live animal encounters, and statewide outreach programs, ECHO ensures that every child — regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic status — has the opportunity to explore science, engineering, and technology.
About GF
GlobalFoundries (GF) is a leading manufacturer of essential semiconductors, enabling AI at scale from the cloud to the physical world. Through deep partnerships with customers, GF delivers differentiated, power‑efficient and high‑performance solutions for automotive, aerospace and defense, data center, smart mobile devices, internet of things and other high‑growth markets. With global manufacturing operations across the U.S., Europe and Asia, GF is a trusted and holistic technology partner for customers around the world. GF’s talented, global team remains focused every day on security, longevity and sustainability. For more information, visit www.gf.com.
BURLINGTON, Vt., July 16, 2026 — GlobalFoundries
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