Education Grant WinnerDenise Rodriguez

At Freedom Elementary in Southside ISD, Denise Rodriguez serves as the STEAM teacher for students in grades one through five, guiding learners across a wide range of ages and abilities on a single campus. Working at a Title I school, Denise is driven by a belief that curiosity and potential are universal—even when access to resources is not. She is especially intentional about helping students see themselves as problem solvers and innovators, with a strong focus on building confidence in students who may not yet envision a future in STEM fields.

Her Firstmark Foundation funded project, Creating a Future of Innovators, brought Edison robots into her STEAM classroom, filling a critical gap created by budget cuts. With this grant, Denise equipped her classroom with robots, coding cards, chargers, mats, and replacement parts—tools that can grow with students from first grade through fifth. Younger children begin with simple, hands on coding, while older students tackle more advanced concepts like angles, logic, and sequencing. The flexibility of the robots allows Denise to scaffold learning year over year, building a strong foundation that prepares students for future coursework and careers.

The impact is schoolwide, reaching more than 500 students. The robots have sparked excitement, collaboration, and perseverance, while also opening conversations about real world opportunities in technology—especially for girls, whom Denise intentionally encourages to see coding as a pathway to independence and possibility. Through this project, students aren’t just learning how robots move; they’re learning that their ideas matter and that their futures are filled with potential.