News & Blog

Every year on Nov. 8, people around the U.S. celebrate National STEM/STEAM Day. The celebration started in 2015 to inspire students to explore the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employment in STEM occupations is projected to grow at twice the rate (10.8%) of overall employment (5.3%) through 2031.” This makes National STEM/STEAM Day even more important, as it serves as an annual encouragement for kids to explore STEM fields, and high-tech companies utilize the day to attract and train the next generation of workers.

This year, a team of Cummins employees from Accelera and Cummins-Meritor hosted 45 students and seven adults from Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP), Madison Heights High School (9th – 12th grades, Michigan GEAR Up students), and Crescent Academy High School (9th – 10th grade) in their Troy office to celebrate the day.

This group of students was selected as part of Cummins’ relationship with DAPCEP, which started in 2022 after Cummins acquired Meritor. Following the acquisition, DAPCEP learned about Cummins Advocating for Racial Equity (CARE), one of Cummins’ many efforts to undo systemic discrimination and enhance the STEM pipeline. The organizations’ relationship only grew from there, as Cummins found the DAPCEP partnership to be mutually beneficial and a viable opportunity to bring DAPCEP’s mission to life, which is “to increase the number of historically underrepresented students that are motivated and academically prepared to pursue degrees leading to STEM careers.”

So, on National STEM/STEAM Day, over 34 Cummins volunteers participated in welcoming the students and exposing them to their field. Jim Keane and Kristi Plain, Executive Directors representing the Cummins-Meritor and Accelera business units, provided the welcome and overview of Cummins. Other volunteers assisted with providing lab tours, facilitating a workshop on building an engine model with LEGOS, and hosting a STEM Career Panel where students heard from employees working in various fields, including program management, quality engineering, purchasing, skilled trades, and legal.

Learn more about global events Cummins has organized to honor National STEM Day here.