Grants

Texas Instruments Commits $5.4 Million to ‘Power’ STEM

Educators and nonprofits in Texas, California and Maine will use TI’s Power of STEM Education grants to provide professional development opportunities and introduce STEM programs.

• By Sri Ravipati
• 08/10/16

The philanthropic arm of Texas Instruments (TI) is committing $5.4 million to improve public school education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Formally known as the Power of STEM Education (POSE), the grants from the Texas Instruments Foundation will be distributed to nonprofit partners and educators in communities across the United States where TI has a major manufacturing presence. Special emphasis was given to support the primary and secondary school programs that emphasize opportunities for girls and minorities, who are underrepresented in the STEM field.

"Our focus is on collaborative strategies to improve teaching effectiveness and student success in STEM education," said Andy Smith, executive director of the TI Foundation and TI director of corporate philanthropy, in a statement. "We seek out effective partners who share our goals, make strategic investments and develop long-term relationships with educators and their organizations to support proven, successful programs that can be scaled and replicated."

A majority of the POSE grants will be distributed in North Texas:

• The Southern Methodist University will use $1.7 million to train Dallas Independent School District (ISD) middle school science teachers over the next four years;
• The second largest grant of $1.3 million goes to Teach for America to finance the professional development of math and science teachers in Dallas ISD and Uplift Education schools; and
• The third largest grant of $1.1 million will be given to the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) to train teachers from Garland Independent School District and Uplift Education high schools in Advanced Placement courses.

Other endowments will be given to Teaching Trust; Lancaster, Mesquite, Plano and Richardson school districts; the University of San Antonio; the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity; and more nonprofits and educators throughout North Texas. TI and the TI Community Fund will issue close to $549,000 to fund programs that emphasize employee engagement, such as volunteering and mentoring students.

In California, grants will be distributed to several Bay Area organizations to establish partnerships and further training. Recipients include Breakthrough Silicon Valley, We Teach Science and many more.

Lastly, Maine is receiving grants to fund collaborative programs between the state’s two largest school districts. The South Portland School District and the Portland School District will implement a STEM academy for grades 8-10, focusing on minority and female students.

Further information about the grants can be found on the TI site.