TSMC Arizona Expands Local Education Support Through Desert Sky Middle School Grant

"We're helping kids connect what they learn here to what they can do later," Larter said. "Partnerships like this make that possible."

Rose Castanares, president of TSMC Arizona, framed the donation within the company's broader interest in developing future technical talent. "We are thrilled to be part of a program that expands students' minds and helps prepare the next generation of leaders for careers in technology and other emerging fields," she said.

Deer Valley Unified School District neighbors the TSMC Arizona facility, which operates on 1,129 acres in north Phoenix. Company representatives noted that many employees and their families live, work, and attend schools in the surrounding area. A TSMC statement characterized the school district as "an obvious recipient for one of our first community grants."

Blood Drives and Food Distribution Programs

TSMC Arizona's community portfolio extends beyond education funding. The facility hosts produce distribution events, where community members receive up to 70 pounds of rescued produce for a $15 donation during drive-through events held on Saturdays.

Blood donation drives represent another component of TSMC Arizona's local engagement. An on-site drive conducted with the American Red Cross of Arizona & New Mexico yielded donations sufficient to potentially save up to 186 hospital patients, according to Red Cross calculations. The event drew participation from employees across the facility's workforce of approximately 3,000 people, including numerous first-time donors.

Workforce Development and Seasonal Campaigns

Holiday season activities have included toy collections for the Salvation Army's Forgotten Angel program. TSMC Arizona employees and construction partners donated over 800 toys during the 2024 campaign, which provides gifts to children in families experiencing financial hardship.

Construction partners participating included Okland Construction, Propersys, Marketech International Corporation USA, United Integrated Services (USA) Corp., Onsite Medical, and multiple supplier partners. Company statements emphasized what executives termed a "one team" culture extending across the broader project ecosystem.

Workforce development partnerships operate through multiple channels. TSMC Arizona committed $5 million to apprenticeship programs offering training in four technical areas: equipment technician, process technician, manufacturing technician specialist, and facilities technician positions. Educational partners include Estrella Mountain Community College, Northern Arizona University, Rio Salado College, Grand Canyon University, and Western Maricopa Education Center.

The company announced plans to recruit approximately 130 new apprentices and trainees during 2025. Governor Katie Hobbs said, "The semiconductor industry has created opportunities for countless Arizonans to gain access to good-paying, stable jobs. Today, we are making that opportunity more accessible by creating new pathways into this growing, high-tech sector."

Additional workforce initiatives include a $5 million philanthropic fund led by the Arizona Community Foundation, designed to assist 1,500 residents from underserved groups with the training needed to enter in-demand jobs. The fund provides grants to organizations offering wraparound services for workforce training and attainment.

Fresh Start Women's Foundation Partnership

TSMC Arizona maintains connections with Fresh Start Women's Foundation, which facilitates employment opportunities in the technology sector for women transitioning careers. Jennifer De La Cruz, a 25-year-old mother of two who previously worked at Wendy's, learned about employment opportunities at TSMC Arizona through Fresh Start programs.

The partnership illustrates how community engagement and workforce pipeline development intersect. Fresh Start Women's Foundation connects participants to various technology sector employers, with TSMC Arizona representing one pathway for candidates seeking manufacturing and technical positions.

Research and Educational Collaborations

Arizona State University partnerships extend beyond traditional recruiting relationships. TSMC Arizona supports master's fellowships and scholarships for thesis-track students in semiconductor research, and provides funding for laboratory courses in ASU's School of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering. The company doubled the number of students able to participate in hands-on learning opportunities related to semiconductor manufacturing.

Faculty engagement includes research support through mentorship programs for master's fellowship students and ASU's Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative program. TSMC-supported FURI students receive a $2,600 stipend and $400 for materials to conduct research aligned with semiconductor manufacturing themes.

TSMC Arizona also connects with ASU's Access ASU program, which introduces semiconductor career paths to high school and transfer students. The Corporate Affiliate Program provides structured pathways for ASU students to enter TSMC Arizona operations, targeting juniors, seniors, and graduate students for engineering, manufacturing, business, and infrastructure internships.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego noted ASU's significance during TSMC's site selection process. "When I was helping recruit TSMC in Taiwan, a key selling point was ASU and its robust investment in its students and the whole Valley community," she said.

Broader Economic Context

TSMC Arizona's community engagement occurs alongside the company's $165 billion investment in multiple semiconductor fabrication facilities, representing the largest foreign direct investment in a greenfield project in American history. The Greater Phoenix Economic Council projects the operations will generate $1.4 billion in tax revenue over 13 years while creating 6,000 direct high-tech jobs.

Since TSMC's initial announcement, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council reported locating 39 semiconductor-related companies to the region, creating more than 7,700 jobs and over $37 billion in capital investment. Fourteen of TSMC's key suppliers have established or announced plans for U.S. facilities to support the Arizona operations.

Company documents reviewed during earlier regulatory processes indicated that executives view community initiatives as generating goodwill both externally and within the company hierarchy. The produce rescue programs, blood drives, and educational partnerships provide tangible metrics of community engagement beyond employment figures or economic projections.

Desert Sky Middle School's Career Action Lab renovation represents one component of this broader engagement framework. The $15,000 grant allows the Title I campus to expand hands-on learning opportunities for students exploring future careers, while demonstrating TSMC Arizona's interest in developing relationships with neighboring educational institutions that serve the surrounding community.