As a new member of the 3Mgives team, I feel like I’m still learning about the wide variety of support we give education, community and environmental organizations. With more than $1.4 billion in cash and product donations over the decades, it’s easy to see why.

I got to experience one area firsthand recently: STEM education. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and it’s an area where 3M has worked for years to drive access and achievement. That’s good for students, good for the economy and good for science-based companies like 3M. One of the fun ways we get students interested and involved in STEM is through supporting the FIRST Robotics Competition.

Recently, we invited these robots – and their associated high schoolers and family members – to “invade the plaza” at 3M headquarters in Minnesota. We had about 200 students from 14 different 3M-funded teams in attendance. Everyone, including 3Mers and their families, had the chance to listen, learn and even drive the robots. And, to top it off, one of our product development specialists talked with the kids about the importance of working hard and using creativity to solve problems. It was great to see the pride they took in their work and to know that the lessons they take from events like this will probably be with them for a long time to come.