We recently completed a comprehensive study on the impact of STEM mentorship. The results speak for themselves—and we wanted to share them with you. If you haven’t already read our white paper (also on the front page of our website), please check out:

The EnCorps Edge: New Research Shows Real Results

Our latest research shows that students in EnCorps partner schools achieve a 73% success rate in STEM subjects—compared to just 50% nationally. That’s a 23-percentage-point advantage.

What does this mean? It means nearly 1 in 4 more students are succeeding. It means students who might have given up on Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math are discovering their potential. It means we’re building a more skilled workforce for tomorrow!

How We Do It:

Our EnCorps Fellows program works. Unlike traditional programs, EnCorps brings working STEM professionals directly into classrooms to offer real-world experience from their extensive careers. These aren’t substitute teachers. They’re current or former software engineers, civil architects, biotech researchers, and manufacturing specialists who are passionate about education.

They bring:

  • Real-world context: Students see why they’re learning what they’re learning
  • Industry experience: Mentors share authentic stories and career pathways
  • Higher standards: Industry professionals bring excellence and accountability

The result: Students don’t just pass Math…they fall in love with it!

Why This Matters Now:

California faces a critical workforce shortage in STEM fields. We need more scientists, engineers, and technologists to build the future. But we also need those professionals to reflect the diversity of our state—not just some students, but ALL students, especially those from underrepresented communities.

[DOWNLOAD THE FULL RESEARCH REPORT]

This Holiday, Support What Works: Mentorship

With holiday giving season here, you have a choice about where your charitable dollars go. We invite you to invest in EnCorps. If you are unsure on opportunities to partner, here are some options:

Community Leader – $100 This donation supports one-hour of tutoring by an EnCorps STEMx Tutor for a middle school student at one of our partner schools. All tutoring is offered to students at no cost, so your donation is critical! Help our students excel in Math and encourage a love of learning.

STEM Magic – $250 Your STEM Magic donation support helps us recruit and onboard a STEM professional volunteer either through our STEMx Tutoring program or Teachers program with high quality training and ongoing customized support.

EnCorps All-Star – $500 As an EnCorps All-Star, your impact helps us support one STEM professional to explore teaching as a volunteer guest teacher at an under resourced public school in California for 10 weeks. These volunteers will experience what it’s like to be a STEM teacher in a middle or high school and get to lead a class themselves before they make the decision to change their careers.

Thank you for your consideration!