STEMming Future Minds
For five years, The Boeing Company and Think Together have changed the odds for kids by coming together to provide students with STEM programs. Because of their continued support for students, Think Together has awarded Boeing the “Champion of Change” award at our annual fundraising event, Raise A Hand. The award recognizes Boeing’s dedication to furthering students’ educational opportunities and inspiring them to seek careers in STEM.
Freshmen students, Ahmahd and Noemi who’ve been part of Think Together since middle school, are prime examples of what Boeing’s STEM programs do for students. Ahmahd and Noemi started a STEM focused club at their school- a Think Together Drone Club.
The club gives students the opportunity to code their own flight paths, flip and take photos with the drones. Students are able to learn many new skills that can be applied to their higher education and gives them a taste of what a career in a STEM related field might look like.
Ahmahd hopes to apply the skills he’s learned as leader of the Drone Club to strive for a career in filmmaking. He shares that he’s mastered strong hand-eye coordination, communication skills, and coding through the club.
Noemi hopes to pursue a STEM career and hopefully continue working with drones. She has a passion for building something with code and overcoming the obstacles that follow.
“I like when I have a problem that I’m working on and I have to think really hard about it. There’s a saying that says like, ‘the environment you’re in makes you the person you are,’” Noemi says. “This environment, I think, is very happy, and we’re all supportive of each other and the things that we do. So, I love to be in this environment.”
Think Together is grateful for The Boeing Company’s continued investments in our STEM programming.
Think Together CEO, Randy Barth, said “Boeing is a shining example of a company that truly cares about the education and well-being of our youth. Their dedication to creating opportunities for students to learn and grow is truly inspiring, and we are honored to recognize them as a Champion of Change awardee.”
Through Think Together’s Coding for All initiative, Boeing has allocated over $400,000 for STEM programming which supports visual and text-based code editing, rapid-prototyping, STEM career explorations, Invention Adventures activities, and Hack Clubs.
“We are honored to receive this award and proud to be recognized for our efforts to make a positive impact in the lives of young people,” said Cheri Carter, Vice President of Boeing Global Engagement. “We believe that education is the key to unlocking the potential of future generations, and we are committed to working with organizations like Think Together to ensure that all students have access to the resources they need to succeed.”
Boeing’s STEM investments impact Think Together students all throughout Los Angeles County and Orange County, serving 3,600 students annually across 46 schools.