United Way’s STEM Fest Inspires Young Minds

During last month’s annual STEM Fest presented by Texas Instruments, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas brought together students, educators and industry leaders for two days filled with hands-on activities, demonstrations and learning opportunities focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). 

The fun-filled event isn’t only a fun escape for local scholars. It also directly supports our Aspire United 2030 goals, which are our North Star for driving transformational change in the areas of education, income and health. That’s because STEM programs are one of the ways we as a community can prepare our students for success in college and the workforce. 

Our region needs a strong pipeline of young people going into STEM careers to support growth in related industries,. By sparking an interest in STEM from an early age, we can increase the chances that students will attend and complete college and go on to a good-paying, stable career. 

Read on to learn more about STEM Fest and its impact on local students, as well as how you can support STEM education in North Texas. 

Two Days of STEM Excitement 

This year we expanded STEM Fest to two days to meet growing demand for this dynamic and interactive annual event. Two of Dallas’ top museums—the Perot Museum of Nature and Science and the Frontiers of Flight Museum—were the perfect settings to host more than 900 fifth- and sixth-grade students from Lancaster Independent School District, plus more than 100 dedicated volunteers. 

STEM Fest aims to ignite a passion for STEM subjects among students by providing a platform where they can explore various fields, engage with cutting-edge technology and meet professionals who work in these exciting industries. This year’s events featured unique interactive activity stations, including: 

• Pi Buttons, which taught about geometry and how to calculate the circumference of a circle by designing and making a wearable button 

• Chemistry Detectives, where students investigated physical and chemical changes of matter to identify an unknown substance, using their findings to help solve a mystery at the museum 

• Musical Coding, where students explored the science of sound and hearing by creating music by programming the TI-Innovator Hub to play a series of playful tunes 

• T. rex: The Ultimate Predator, which taught students about the iconic dinosaur’s keen senses 

• TI Robotics, where students explored the relationship between distance, time and speed by driving the TI-Innovator Rover as close as possible to the toy dog, Rover, without bumping him 

• AI Facial Recognition, where students discovered the fascinating world of artificial intelligence, exploring how computers can recognize and identify faces with advanced technology 

STEM Programming Is a Powerful Learning Tool 

Research shows that STEM lessons and activities support the development of creativity and “divergent thinking,” or the process of creating multiple, unique ideas or solutions to a problem. Put simply, it lets kids learn by exploring and experiencing the world around them.  

When students cultivate curiosity, problem-solving abilities and a flexible mindset, these qualities enhance their academic performance and extend into their everyday lives. Students with a foundation in STEM are better prepared to tackle real-world issues, setting them up for future success in higher education or their careers. 

At the same time, STEM education introduces students to science, technology, engineering and math, creating a pipeline of future professionals in these critical fields. This strengthens our region’s workforce, where careers in computing, mathematics, architecture, engineering, and the life and physical sciences are becoming more prevalent. 

Given its significant impact on young learners, STEM education plays a vital role in advancing our mission to improve access to education, income and health. As part of our Aspire United 2030 community goals, we aim to ensure that more local students graduate high school ready for college or the workforce. By advancing this educational goal, we also ensure more young adults can secure living-wage jobs and access the healthcare they and their family need to live healthier, longer lives. 

STEM programs also help improve equity in the North Texas workforce and in STEM itself, ensuring more students of color are exposed to experiential learning and problem solving.  

Today, just 15% of Black students and 17% of Latinx students are college ready upon graduation, which hinders their chances of landing a good-paying job. This inequity persists through adulthood, with only 12% of Latinx workers and 19% of Black workers earning a living wage. These disparities show that it’s more important than ever to support educational programming that promotes equity throughout North Texas. 

Impact of STEM Programs 

United Way initiatives like STEM Fest are hands-on and experiential, which is a powerful complement to traditional classroom learning. Not only does STEM learning feel novel for children, but it also offers practical applications and take-aways for their future. It gives them an opportunity to dream about how they might use STEM in college or a career. 

As Amelia Keeton, a sixth grader who participated in STEM Fest, explained, “My experience at the museum was pretty great, because I got to see lots of new planes, including the first one ever built,” she said. “When I grow up, I want to be multiple different things. I mean, astronauts seem pretty cool. I saw lots of spaceships, and I got to get close up and see inside of one.”  

STEM programming also gives United Way volunteers and donors an opportunity to directly invest in the next generation of STEM professionals. For example, Shreya Mandal, a product marketing engineer at Texas Instruments and a frequent United Way volunteer, says she appreciates that the organization delivers a variety of ways for her to encourage young girls to try their hand at STEM. 

“Introducing STEM to young girls is truly a passion of mine,” she said. “I believe that as younger professionals in the workplace, it is our responsibility to go back to where all of the curriculum starts from. If you introduce these exciting ideas—for example, creating a solution, programming some code into a calculator—I think those hands-on activities really resonate with young girls. They see that, hey, it’s not that difficult and it’s not as complex as everyone makes it seem. And that this space is also for us.” 

Join Us in Supporting STEM in North Texas 

With the support of volunteers and nonprofit and corporate partners, our STEM programs improve access to education and to future job opportunities for students across North Texas. We invite you to Live United and be part of this meaningful change in our community. 

Here are three ways you can get involved right now: 

• Give: Make a one-time or recurring donation of any size to invest in our initiatives that improve access to education right here in our community.  
• Advocate: The Texas Legislature convenes for its 89th session on Jan. 14, 2025. Join United Way in advocating for key bills that will impact education and workforce policy in North Texas. To get started, sign up for our Advocacy Alerts. 
• Volunteer: We frequently host STEM-related volunteer programs that support local students. Keep an eye on current and upcoming opportunities on our volunteer page.