Texas Instruments Foundation Invests $5.7 Million through Educate Texas to Expand STEM Education Across North Texas

TEXAS – AUGUST 10, 2026 –The Texas Instruments (TI) Foundation has awarded more than $5.7 million in grants to Educate Texas, an initiative of Communities Foundation of Texas, to expand Districtwide STEM implementation to Sherman ISD, continue implementation in Denison ISD and support STEM leadership development across North Texas. The investment aims to expand high-quality STEM opportunities that prepare Texas students for success in college, career, and life.

The grants build on 15 years of partnership between Educate Texas and the TI Foundation to strengthen STEM education. Since launching the first districtwide STEM investment in Lancaster ISD in 2012, TI has invested more than $35 million through Educate Texas to create a regional ecosystem that supports STEM learning and prepares students for high-demand jobs in North Texas communities. This year’s investment marks the next chapter in this work, as Sherman and Denison experience significant growth in the advanced manufacturing and technology sectors, creating new opportunities for students to pursue high-demand careers close to home.

“The Texas Instruments Foundation has been a visionary partner making strategic and long-term investments that align district leadership and curriculum supports to expand high-quality STEM learning and connect classroom experiences to today’s workforce needs,” said Kerri Briggs, Ph.D., Educate Texas’ Executive Director.

“These investments reflect the TI Foundation’s continued commitment to expanding access to high-quality STEM education and supporting educators who inspire the next generation of innovators,” said Andy Smith, executive director of the TI Foundation. “By partnering with Educate Texas, Sherman ISD, and Denison ISD, we’re helping more students develop the skills they’ll need to succeed in college, their careers, and the rapidly evolving industries driving North Texas.”

Educate Texas will provide professional learning, educator coaching, grant management, and data collection and analysis to support these new investments as they continue district-wide STEM transformation in DeSoto ISD and Cedar Hill ISD.

DETAILS

The TI Foundation investment will support Educate Texas’ work to:

• Launch districtwide STEM in Sherman ISD, serving approximately 7,550 students, 634 teachers and 1,260 staff.
• Continue districtwide STEM implementation in Denison ISD through a new two-year grant.
• Expand STEM pathways, project-based learning, career and technical education, educator coaching, superintendent mentoring and workforce-connected learning in other South Dallas districts.
• Strengthen student pathways that align with engineering, artificial intelligence, and other high-demand industries.

The investment also supports Educate Texas’ work to scale the responsible adoption of AI in public education and efforts to align state policy to strengthen public education.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS/HIGHLIGHTS

Sherman ISD

The Sherman ISD districtwide STEM grant will build a PK-12 STEM ecosystem by:

• Improving conceptual math instruction across grade levels.
• Expanding project-based learning and makerspaces.
• Strengthening teacher and leadership capacity.
• Increasing college and career readiness.
• Aligning student pathways with Grayson College, regional employers, and the region’s growing semiconductor and advanced manufacturing workforce.

Denison ISD

Building on its initial Districtwide STEM implementation, Denison ISD has already expanded student access to STEM learning and college and career experiences. During the 2025-26 school year:

• 185 students participated in new K-4 STEAM Summer Camps.
• More than 700 students participated in a districtwide College and Career Fair.
• New STEM clubs launched at all four elementary campuses, serving approximately 180 students.
• Industry-recognized certifications increased from 32 in 2023-24 to 274 in 2025-26.
• Early math growth improved across multiple elementary grade levels.

The new two-year grant will strengthen Denison ISD’s K-12 STEM pipeline by expanding advanced coursework and career pathways, improving academic outcomes, and deepening alignment between education and workforce opportunities.

ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS

The TI Foundation investment also supports:

STEM District Collaborative: Builds leadership capacity by connecting district leaders to share effective STEM implementation practices and strengthen systemwide strategies that improve college, career, and workforce readiness.

Lancaster ISD leadership development: Partnering with SustainED to provide intensive coaching, professional learning, and systems-level support to strengthen mathematics instruction, build educator capacity, and improve long-term student outcomes.