High Tech Rising finishes STEM pilot with Boys & Girls Club in Oak Cliff

High Tech Rising says its summer pilot with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dallas reached 75 students in Oak Cliff and trained four high school mentors to teach hands-on STEM lessons. The nonprofit now plans a fundraising push as it looks to expand the program across Greater Dallas and beyond.

Why it matters: - High Tech Rising is trying to widen access to STEM education for underrepresented students. - The pilot also gave high school mentors paid leadership experience, adding a workforce-development angle to the program. - Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dallas wants to expand the program to all 11 of its club locations across Greater Dallas.

What happened: - High Tech Rising completed its “Oh Snap!” STEM pilot this summer with the Boys & Girls Club at Oak Cliff. - The nonprofit trained and paid four high school mentors to deliver the curriculum. - The mentors taught 75 students at the Oak Cliff club during the summer of 2026. - The program focused on fourth- through sixth-grade students.

The details: - “Oh Snap!” includes 16 customized lesson plans. - The program also uses an interactive AI chatbot to teach electrical circuits. - Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas CEO Brian Slye said the response from students, mentors and staff was “incredibly positive.” - Slye said younger members were excited by hands-on projects and high school mentors gained leadership experience that opened up new possibilities for their futures. - High Tech Rising Program Committee Co-Chair Alicia Dietsch said feedback from the Oak Cliff team was encouraging. - Dietsch said Boys & Girls Club staff has expressed a strong desire to expand the program into all 11 club locations during the upcoming school year. - High Tech Rising says the organization has spent 25 years investing in programs that expand STEM access for underrepresented students. - High Tech Rising was founded in 2001 by a group of women at Texas Instruments. - The organization says it is a volunteer-led nonprofit focused on increasing the number of young women pursuing degrees and careers in STEM.

Between the lines: - The pilot appears designed to do more than teach science lessons. It also builds a pipeline by pairing younger students with near-peer mentors. - High Tech Rising is using the pilot’s early results to support a broader expansion strategy across Greater Dallas and chapters in South Texas, Silicon Valley and Colorado. - The push also suggests the nonprofit is leaning on partnerships and volunteer engagement to scale faster than a single-site program would allow.

What's next: - High Tech Rising is ramping up fundraising to expand hands-on STEM learning to all 11 Boys & Girls Clubs across Greater Dallas. - The organization also wants to bring the program to communities around its chapters in South Texas, Silicon Valley and Colorado. - High Tech Rising is hosting a Friendraiser on September 18, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Oak Highlands Brewery, 500 Lockwood Dr, Richardson, TX 75080. - Supporters can register, buy tickets or contribute through the Friendraiser Event Page. - Donors can also support High Tech Rising on September 17, North Texas Giving Day via the nonprofit’s donation page. - More information is available at High Tech Rising’s website and the organization’s LinkedIn page.

The bottom line: - The Oak Cliff pilot gave High Tech Rising proof of concept for a mentor-led STEM model it wants to scale across multiple regions.