Two years after our first global STEM Career Exploration campaign, Dow and Teach For All network partners launched this year’s campaign with a renewed focus: deepening student learning, connecting learning to real-world careers, and equipping teachers to guide students toward meaningful STEM pathways. Across Argentina, Japan, Nigeria, Spain, and the United States, students and teachers engaged with Dow professionals to tackle local challenges, explore career opportunities, and discover new ways to apply STEM in their communities.

Connecting Learning to Real-World Careers

In Argentina, students at two technical schools in Bahía Blanca designed projects directly addressing local community needs, including a smart greenhouse and a 3D model of a hydraulic dam to prevent flooding. Over multi-hour sessions, 17 students, two Enseñá por Argentina teachers, and four Dow volunteers collaborated to refine presentations and think critically about the real-world impact of their ideas. Having engineers from the local industrial sector—professionals who grew up in the same city—guide their work made the learning immediately relevant and inspiring. This hands-on collaboration reinforced not just STEM concepts but critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills—all central to preparing students for the future of work.  

One student reflected on how rare it is to have visitors in their school, saying, “No one ever comes to visit us. I hope more people will be excited to come and see our school.” The sentiment highlighted students’ pride in their school community and underscored the value of welcoming corporate volunteers into classrooms—to motivate and inspire students, and to help break down the barriers that too often separate school from the world of work.

At Plaquemine High School in Louisiana, Dow and Teach For America teamed up to introduce 75 tenth-graders to STEM careers beyond traditional expectations. Students engaged with the first in a series of Dow-produced videos highlighting roles in mechanics, finance, and medical support. Teachers Gelisa Patin (Teach For America alumna and the school’s 2025 Teacher of the Year) and Eternity Cleveland guided reflection discussions and curiosity-building exercises, helping students connect what they learned to their own aspirations. The video series is designed to prepare students for an in-person STEM learning day in February, allowing them to see firsthand how classroom learning translates into meaningful careers.

Expanding Horizons Through Exposure and Mentorship

The campaign also emphasized broadening perspectives through exposure and mentorship. For example, STEM activities in rural and remote regions of Japan introduced 86 students to programming, creative problem-solving, and scientific inquiry—often for the first time. These experiences allowed students to envision new educational and career paths, while Teach For Japan teachers strengthened their ability to deliver locally relevant, engaging lessons. 

Teach For Japan’s CEO, Take Nakahara, also spoke to Dow employees, sharing insights about Japan’s education system and the collaborative work required to drive systemic change, Through engagements like these, students, teachers, network partners, and Dow employees strengthened a shared sense of responsibility for expanding young people’s opportunities—elevating awareness and deepening collective commitment to helping every student fulfill their potential.

In Nigeria, students explored STEM pathways through workshops, facility tours, and mentoring sessions with Dow employees. For many, seeing female leaders in STEM was transformative. One student reflected: “I learned more about STEM in terms of clarity, career choices, and impact. Hearing from females in top careers gave me the inspiration that as a female in STEM, I can do more—in tech, in sustainability, and in life.” Students were inspired by stories from Dow’s female employees as well as Teach For Nigeria CEO Molade Adeniyi, who shared her journey of pursuing a degree in pharmacy. These stories highlighted how STEM education can open doors beyond traditional pathways, shaping leadership and career opportunities in unexpected ways.

Empowering Teachers to Amplify Impact

The campaign also reinforced the critical role teachers play in sustaining student impact.

Empieza por Educar teachers in Spain translated insights from their Dow visit into classroom activities that helped students understand how STEM connects to real careers and community challenges. Enseñá por Argentina teachers facilitated project presentations alongside Dow volunteers, supporting students as they applied STEM skills to tangible local issues. Meanwhile, Teach For Nigeria teachers and Dow volunteers co-led workshops, modeling how collaboration between educators and industry professionals strengthens learning experiences by connecting concepts to real-world community challenges and actively fostering students' problem-solving skills.

Across these communities, teachers gained new tools, confidence, and perspective—reinforcing Teach For All’s mission to develop collective leadership in education so that all students can thrive.

Looking Ahead

This year’s Dow–Teach For All STEM campaign demonstrates the power of public–private collaboration to enhance education globally. Students across five countries explored STEM in ways that challenged assumptions, expanded ambitions, and strengthened their skills. Teachers gained partners who helped link classroom learning to real-world opportunities. And Dow volunteers saw firsthand the creativity, curiosity, and potential of students around the world.

By connecting classrooms with the world of work, the campaign reminds us that learning is not sequential—and opportunities are not confined to post-school life. Instead, education thrives as a shared journey between students, teachers, and the wider world—one where curiosity meets expertise, and possibility becomes action.

Learn more about Teach For All’s partnership with Dow and our Future of Work Initiative.