Fluor Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI) scholar Landen Anderson, a rising junior at Prairie View A&M University, joined members of Fluor's Black Employee Alliance (BEA) and Fluor Cares volunteers, to welcome 83 enthusiastic fifth graders from local schools to the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Fresh Start program at the University of Houston.
This one-day STEM event was designed to spark curiosity and passion for science, technology, engineering and math among students in grades 3-12 through hands-on activities.
Hands-on learning activities
Volunteers engaged the young students in lively discussions about engineering careers and the work done at Fluor, and then participated in an activity called Canstruction, where the students built the NSBE logo using cans of food.
"Working with the kids was an amazing experience—seeing how the younger generation thinks and approaches challenges was truly inspiring," said Anderson. "They loved participating in the Canstruction. It allowed them to express their creativity and practice strategic thinking in a fun, hands-on way."
Community impact and mentorship
The event concluded with the disassembly and packing of the canned goods for donation to the Houston Food Bank, resulting in a generous contribution of 374 pounds of food to support families facing food insecurity in the Greater Houston area.
Fluor's David Dase-Mason, who led the project and serves as Anderson's mentor, commented, "It was great to have Landen with us to help excite the younger students about STEM. As a proud FOSSI sponsor, Fluor is committed to supporting the next generation of diverse, talented future engineers."
We invite companies not currently supporting FOSSI to build their pipeline of outstanding and diverse talent by supporting a FOSSI scholar. Learn more.