Education Grant WinnerRebecca Ross

At McDermott Elementary in Northside ISD, Rebecca Ross works at the intersection of creativity, technology, and inclusion, supporting students in grades two through five through hands-on STEM learning. She is especially mindful of the diverse needs of her campus, including a large population of English Language Learners, and is passionate about finding ways for all students to feel confident, capable, and engaged—regardless of language barriers.

That commitment led to Code & Create with Dash, a Firstmark Foundation-funded project that refreshed the school’s robotics and coding resources with interactive Dash robots. Using visual, language-light coding platforms, students program the robots to navigate challenges, explore sequencing and loops, and solve problems collaboratively. The physical nature of the robots allows students to instantly see the impact of their ideas, turning abstract computer science concepts into tangible “aha” moments while encouraging teamwork, experimentation, and communication.

The impact stretches across the campus, reaching nearly 500 students each year. For English Language Learners in particular, the project provides a welcoming entry point into STEM—one where success is driven by curiosity and collaboration rather than vocabulary alone. As confidence grows, so does engagement, helping students not only build technical skills but also see themselves as capable problem-solvers with a voice in the classroom and beyond.