Opening doors to STEM education for students around the world

At STEM Fest in Dallas, multiple middle-school-aged girls were hunched over their latest challenge: a snap circuit activity. With their brows furrowed and eyes focused on the challenge in front of them, their confidence was unmistakable. 

"In the past, I've spent time helping the girls come out of their shells," said Darrah Merillat, a product marketing engineer at TI. "But getting to watch them jump in without hesitation, knowing they could do it, was a special moment."

Darrah knows firsthand the power of encouraging girls to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). With support from teachers, counselors and family members, she embraced the challenge of accelerated STEM classes as a young student. Today, she offers the same encouragement as a TI volunteer, teaching and leading hands-on STEM activities for middle-school girls.  

”I can feel myself lighting up when I get to talk to girls about science,” Darrah said. ”To be in an environment where I can share my love of STEM with kids and have them match my energy is amazing.”  

Inspiring girls to approach STEM with enthusiasm and self-assurance has been one of the most rewarding aspects of Darrah’s work as a TI volunteer. 

Darrah’s volunteer work is essential in empowering and equipping the next generation of engineers, and she’s not alone in her efforts. TI volunteers worldwide are opening doors to STEM, giving students the support, instruction and resources they need to pursue opportunities they may never have imagined.    

”Education is TI’s highest philanthropic priority,” said Andy Smith, director of Giving and Volunteering at TI. ”Through educational grants and STEM training, we’re helping expand learning opportunities in under-resourced schools. And our TI volunteers bring that commitment to life in communities around the world, devoting their time and expertise to make STEM more accessible and inspire tomorrow’s innovators.” 

Expanding access to STEM education for India’s students 

For TI layout engineer Prajwal Mahadevappa, the desire to help students throughout India is deeply rooted in his own experience. Early mentoring and financial sponsorships allowed him to pursue an engineering education despite the limited resources available to him. ”When it comes to students in India, it’s not about lacking ability; it’s about lacking access to the right resources,” he said. ”I thought that once I grew up, I should help students and provide them with the access that I had.”  

Each year, Prajwal helps lead a key TI initiative in India: distributing backpacks and supplies to school children in rural areas. ”Even though education itself is free in India, many students won’t take the first step because they lack basic supplies, like books, bags and notebooks,” he said. ”A backpack may sound like a small thing, but the impact is huge. It can make the difference between a student attending school or not going at all.” 

Additionally, Prajwal coordinates a quiz program to spark curiosity and build early interest in science and technology for sixth- and seventh-grade students across India. Through the initiative, volunteers visit thousands of schools to host STEM-focused quizzes, identifying the top three contestants from each participating school to receive mentorship from TIers. These top students advance to final rounds of the competition, where they compete for educational scholarships. Winning schools also receive science equipment from TI to support hands-on learning. 

Prajwal finds it especially rewarding to see how TI’s volunteer efforts are opening doors for students in India. ”TI’s involvement plays a major role in building confidence and providing resources so that students are motivated to come to school,” he said. ”And if they come to school, they can keep taking the next steps forward. TI is having a huge overall impact on the future success of these students.”  

Providing pathways to STEM learning in Japan 

As the leader of TI’s community impact team in Miho, procurement specialist Naoko Fujiwara views her volunteer work as an opportunity to support Japanese students lacking the means to pursue their dreams in STEM.  ”While Japan is a developed nation, there’s a significant – often invisible – educational gap,” she said. ”Many students lack access to supplementary education or extracurricular activities due to financial constraints.”  

Initially volunteering with TI’s food bank initiatives, Naoko felt a profound connection with her local community, inspiring her to become more deeply engaged as a TI volunteer and ultimately take on her strategic role at the helm of the local community impact team. Today, she plans and organizes workshops, events and tours that are designed to spark early interest in STEM and offer real-world insight into STEM careers.  

With activities reaching a wide spectrum of learners in Miho – from elementary school children to high school and university students – Naoko finds it fulfilling to make such a significant impact. ”I see it in the smiles of the children at our science events and in the serious, focused expressions of older students during our technical lectures,” she said. ”Beyond the numbers, the true measure lies in the strengthening of trust between TI and the Miho community.” 

Naoko credits TI for creating a culture that encourages employees to volunteer and makes it easy for them to get involved. ”Time can be a challenge, and we know that TIers have busy professional schedules,” she said. ”By creating structured, impactful opportunities that respect their time, TI ensures that even focused volunteer involvement can still make a meaningful impact.”

Continuing a legacy of investing in the next generation 

For too many students around the world, access to the education and resources needed to pursue STEM remain out of reach. TI volunteers are helping change that by connecting young people with opportunities they may never have known existed and inspiring them to imagine futures they may never have considered. 

"Every student we reach today is a step toward the breakthroughs of tomorrow," Andy said. "Whether it's a backpack that gets a child to school in India, a STEM workshop that sparks curiosity for a student in Japan, or a mentor who helps a girl in Dallas see herself as a problem-solver, our volunteers are planting seeds of curiosity and confidence in students everywhere. Giving back to our communities, particularly in education, is exactly what will keep innovation moving forward - for TI and the world."