Proactively engage with schools via participation (such as company volunteers) in programs like the Indiana Science Initiative and in out of school programs such as Girl Scouts and robotics teams. Programs such as the Lilly Science Coaches and the Dow AgroScience Ambassadors are a model of how STEM professionals can engage with schools in meaningful ways.

The US2020 grant recently awarded to the City of Indianapolis supports STEM mentor programs. US2020 is aiming to mobilize 1 million STEM mentors across the US by 2020, with member corporations working towards having 20% of their STEM workforce volunteering at least 20 hours annually by 2020. Ultimately, the students they work with will have access to career opportunities they might never have considered and will help fill the STEM jobs of the future that will keep the country economically competitive. In Indianapolis, The TechPoint Foundation for Youth is leading the US2020 project, seeking to develop a database of teachers and clubs looking for STEM mentors as well as STEM professionals looking for mentoring opportunities. More information is available at https://techpointyouth.org/.