By Erica Holm
Program Manager of Community Affairs
Molex is eager to make a difference in our local communities when it comes to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. We know that early exposure to STEM activities and dedicated mentorship create a powerful path to success by fostering a sense of curiosity and confidence for students; however, many children in underserved communities do not have access to STEM opportunities. To help mitigate this disparity and drive achievement, Molex collaborates with an organization called Project SYNCERE (PS).
Several years ago, the founders of PS observed the lack of diversity in STEM fields and decided to devote their time and leverage their resources to help bridge the gap. These engineering professionals recognized the value of early STEM exposure and the need for it in diverse communities. Hence, the PS founders’ mission—to prepare the minds of underrepresented students and create pathways for them to pursue careers in STEM. “Since our launch in 2009, we have been able to create a spark in the minds of thousands of students to show them how STEM careers can be fun, creative and rewarding.”-Founders of PS
PS is committed to developing programs that provide students with year-round STEM opportunities. Their goal is to help students become actively involved in STEM projects by offering a challenging and innovative learning curriculum. As a result, PS is making great strides in increasing the number of underrepresented students in engineering. The role PS has played in their lives has had a significant effect not only on the students, but on the community as well, and this impact is evident in the numbers.*
PS helps students find their passion and sharpen their skills which will ultimately help them to become the leaders of tomorrow. Molex is excited to contribute to this effort and to help sponsor the PS mission by serving youth in underserved and underrepresented communities through STEM-based programs.
Our Molex employees have fostered a relationship with the PS organization and have sponsored their programming by participating in events such as the ENpowered Games Competition for two years, hosting a Lisle campus tour and sharing information in a virtual STEM discussion. We currently have our own Malik Hughes on the PS Associate Board as chairperson.
“As a competition judge for the past two years, it still amazes me to see how these students are able to understand the complexities we often face in our society and come up with innovative ideas to solve them. Working in a virtual environment certainly has its challenges, however that didn’t seem to affect students’ enthusiasm for presenting their projects,” said– Malik Hughes, Resident Engineer at Molex and Molex Black Professionals (MBP) member.
The MBP employee resource group has truly risen to the occasion by engaging our employees through field trips, mentorship, career panels and volunteerism at PS events. MBP has helped Molex navigate where we can drive a deeper impact in our communities with PS. Together, we move forward Creating Connections for Life—the journey has just begun!
*Taken from the Project SYNCERE website
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