The project aims to serve the national need of preparing and retaining highly qualified STEM teachers to meet critical STEM teacher shortages. Twenty-four (24) prospective and practicing middle and high school teachers from multiple high-need and other districts in Southeast TN and North GA will participate over three years. Teachers will engage in authentic research experiences in microelectronics (for the future of quantum computers) and applications of artificial intelligence (AI), which are STEM disciplines identified as critical national needs. The project will provide teachers with the opportunity to participate in this innovative space through a six-week summer research experience and Project-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum development, integrating microelectronics and AI into middle and high school STEM classrooms. Teachers will participate in academic year follow-up activities, including professional development, classroom visits and mentoring by the research team, industry talks, continued curriculum development support, and presentations at conferences. The benefits of contributing to a domestic semiconductor and AI ecosystem with a pipeline of a large variety of skilled workers and future engineers, scientists will be amplified through industry partnerships, participation in student organizations, and dissemination of findings to a broader audience via the project website, publications, and symposium participation. This project at the University of Tennessee at