Best Place to Work
Firstmark has been named a Best Place to Work for five years in a row!
STEM in schools has takin’ off! Continuing to add new course curriculums as we as a society evolve over time, STEM is a subject where students’ creativity is at its peak, combining multiple subjects into one class. That being said, because it is still relatively fresh to districts, funding for it remains low.
Melinda Valdez, educator at Beard Elementary, has jumped into the STEM world headfirst and saw the importance of coding, and needed some cash help so she could incorporate robotic equipment to her classroom. Thanks to Power of the Dollar® members, she was awarded a $1,000 grant in December 2025 for her “Differentiating Instruction through Coding” project idea, which she then used the grant funds to purchase VEX123 Classroom Bundle, containing robots, coders, coder cards, fields, storage, charging stations, and more!
“I was looking for something that they haven’t used because this is our third year in STEM,” said Valdez. “Using these VEX robots and coders, it’s totally different than anything they’ve done before. So, this grant really has helped me be more innovative and find something brand-new. It’s really great for that differentiation grade-level-wise. I am so grateful that you guys have this grant for me to able to do this!”
If you walk into STEM, you will find kids are at their highest level of engagement—every time you go through the door to see how much fun students are having, it’s almost a forgone conclusion. And that’s what you like to see: students wanting to learn, and that’s precisely how they interact in Ms. Valdez’s classroom. By fostering a passion for STEM, not only are you maintaining student interest, but you’re adding sustainability to their future success. It’s truly an amazing—and refreshing—thing to see.
“It’s really been a positive impact,” she said. “The kids drive that instruction and them wanting to learn more. They’re always so eager. I always try to keep them on their toes. With something like this, I try not to give too much direction on how they work. I want them to have that struggle to be able to problem solve and troubleshoot. It has been great!”
Looking to help local schools, invest in your community, and support educators like Melinda Valdez? Make a tangible positive impact by joining the collective giving of our Power of the Dollar® membership.
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Firstmark has been named a Best Place to Work for five years in a row!
Firstmark has been named a Best Place to Work for five years in a row!