Supporting STEAM Education in Schools Across the US

At Cox, we’re all about giving back to the communities we serve. We’re in a unique position to help fill the technology gap in our communities. One of the ways we do this is through partnerships with organizations designed to help those in need.  

I recently got the chance to talk with Jennifer Bronner, Director of Community Impact on Cox’s Corporate Social Responsibility team to discuss our partnerships with Discovery Education and DonorsChoose to introduce new STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) resources into communities.  Discovery Ed provides resources, including a vast library of digital and immersive learning resources, to support educators teaching STEAM in school. In the two and a half years we have been partnered with Discovery Ed, we’ve provided an entire school district in Florida with access to free STEAM resources, helping kids gain insight into the vast world of STEAM and all the future career possibilities that come with it.  

Our other partner, DonorsChoose, is a nonprofit that allows public school teachers to post requests for classroom resources, and people can donate directly to specific classroom projects. Through the DonorsChoose platform, teachers can ask for things their students need, as well as any resources they need as educators to be able to teach STEAM more effectively. DonorsChoose will purchase what they have asked for and send it directly to the teachers.  

Since the organization was founded in 2000, six million people have donated more than one billion dollars to support requests from teachers and help fund two million classroom project requests that range from butterfly cocoons to robotics kits. 

Recently, there has been an uptick in teachers requesting more essential resources– like food, clothing and hygiene items — for their students. Cox focused on 10 markets and matched donations for STEAM and environmental projects in those regions across the US. We were able to match $100,000 to fund 509 projects, helping 176 schools and 279 teachers.  

Both partnerships align with our 34 by 34 social impact initiative, where we’ve set the ambitious goal of empowering 34 million people to live more prosperous lives by 2034. We’re working together to make a difference in six key areas: technology access, access to lifelong education, employment skills, social equity, environmental sustainability and healthcare. Partnerships like these two examples are helping us make sure that everyone has access to equal opportunities for education. 

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