Team builders are inspired to contribute

Cinder staffers compete in the Marbles in Motion activity used in our 4th grade classrooms.

Some things can be both practical and inspirational at the same time. For example, you have to eat dinner, so make something you’ve never tried before. Or, you have to get that workout in, so listen to a life-changing podcast while you sweat.

Our Team Builder program is one of those things. This summer, In4All had the very practical need to build 200 STEM Connect activity kits to get ready for the new school year. Our staff has built the kits the past, but it took our small group the whole fall and into the winter to finish the task last year. We knew we needed more help.

We approached several business partners about holding a team building event at their offices where we could introduce our mission to employees, engage them in one of the STEM Connect activities, and build the kits for the 2019-2020 school year. Many of these partners had been looking for a way to get involved, but were not quite ready to fully support a school yet. This program was practical for them – and for us.

As it turns out, the Team Builder program was also very inspirational. Many of the volunteers were surprised to learn that interest in math and science at an early age is a predictor of future success. By actively participating in a STEM Connect activity, these volunteers experienced first-hand how our programming sparks interest and encourages students to explore what’s possible for themselves.

Cinder Staffing is one of four companies that participated in this first season of the Team Builder program. “We love the work In4All is doing and we think it fills a critical need in our community,” said Paul Brown, President of Cinder. “Our team building was well run, fun, productive and educational. Our team left feeling energized and felt they had contributed something to the great work In4All is doing in our schools. It was a great experience!”

First Interstate Bank and Qorvo also hosted a Team Builder this summer and we expect one more to happen this fall. By the time we are done, 40 volunteers will have spent part of a day building the 200 kits we need for the year and getting inspired for the future of the 4,500 students we will serve this year. That’s time well spent.