At nVent, supporting our communities is part of our culture and values. Through the nVent Foundation and our broader nVent in Action program, we empower our teammates and employee resource groups (ERGs) to support and give back to the causes they care about. We are especially interested in programs that offer hands-on learning experiences and introduce young people to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) related career opportunities.
Our Charting Courses ERG has a mission to build an inclusive environment that educates and supports employees in discovering their career goals and expanding their horizons. Central to their vision are the concepts of knowledge sharing and collective learning to spur personal and professional growth.
Their pursuit of individual development doesn’t stop with nVent employees. The Charting Courses leadership team believes that a robust educational foundation as a young person is instrumental for future career opportunities. That led them to develop a strong volunteer relationship with STARBASE Minnesota. The organization works to educate and inspire Minnesota youth in STEM. Since 1993, they have created fun and engaging experiences for over 170,000 youth in Minnesota. The majority of students served during the school year are underserved and underrepresented in STEM fields. In 2023, 55% of the children they taught were children of color and 48% were girls.
“As a woman with Mexican and Indigenous heritage, I enjoy telling children in our community about how cool jobs in STEM are – especially in underrepresented groups like mine,” shared Erika Wakefield-Zubiate, co-chair of Charting Courses. “It is always exciting to see the kids’ faces light up when they realize what they are learning applies to the ‘real’ world.”
Over the last year and a half, Charting Courses has collaborated with STARBASE Minnesota to:
- Share information about STEM careers at nVent
- Host teachers onsite for a manufacturing plant tour; additionally STARBASE instructors received 3 hours of development and training to go towards their teaching license renewal
- Contribute 120 volunteer hours and donate $3,000 in 2023
- Create a ‘National Stem Day’ event that is now held annually on November 8
At nVent, we want to encourage the next generation of engineers, technicians and machinists. These children might even be future nVent employees, so it is important to invest in their learning and amplify their exposure to what’s possible. As such, we focus a portion of our giving on STEM educational opportunities for young people, particularly underrepresented and economically marginalized groups in U.S. communities where nVent has business operations. Last year, nVent provided a $15,000 grant to STARBASE Minnesota to support their efforts to increase representation and curiosity about STEM careers.