When the call went out for mentors to help students at a Houston-area elementary school, Aerospace employees stepped up – and then some.

Within days, the program had nearly twice as many volunteers as needed, and those selected would go on to spend several months guiding curious fifth graders at Kujawa Elementary School through the exciting world of STEM.

Students asked questions and shared ideas with their pen pals, applying what they learned to hands-on activities in the classroom.  Mentors exchanged an average of 10 letters with students, nearly double the program average.

The eMentorship platform provided employees a convenient way to engage with students on their own time and from anywhere in the country. Aerospace employees engaged with students at a critical time in their education, when research shows that interest in STEM subjects often declines, especially among girls and students of color.

Through a partnership with Try Engineering Together, Aerospace employees used an innovative eMentorship platform to connect with students.

“I grew up with two parents that were engineers; they were my mentors growing up. I don’t think it’s a coincidence I ended up an engineer myself. Not everybody gets that opportunity,” said Tucker Wheeler, Aerospace employee and program mentor.

This article was featured in the Aerospace 2019 Corporate Social Responsibility Report.