Engineering Inc. - Winter 2020 - 43

students to sustain the work that we do.
And enticing them-making the work
real, making it fun, making it interactive-
is critical if we are going to be successful in
replenishing the pipeline."

kits specifically for students with visual
impairments. The kits included bells and
other sound-producing elements to help
students keep track of their chain reactions
as they unfold.
Heitman was drawn to the challenge
because of her love of project-based
learning. But the effort also introduced
students to a potential career path and
allowed them to compete alongside their
sighted peers, she notes.
"The chain reaction project had a
profound impact on the students and
teachers alike. It was a powerful lesson
in teamwork and self-determination,"
Heitman says.

AN UNANTICIPATED OUTCOME

At the Texas School for the Blind and
Visually Impaired, an obstacle in the
Chain Reaction Challenge turned into
an opportunity.
Kat Heitman, a teacher at the school,
worked with high schoolers to help
them create their own chain reaction-
modifying the project parameters to
give the students as much independence
as possible.
"We realized very quickly that using
freestanding objects was not working for
our students," Heitman says. "They had
to feel around for where the last domino
was, and they kept knocking them over."

GARVER

EMPLOYEE IMPACT

Students from the Texas School for the Blind and
Visually Impaired assemble accessible STEM kits
for other schools with Bill Nguyen, transportation
project engineer at Garver and Josh Crawford,
aviation leader for central/south Texas at Garver.

Heitman used the Garver stipend to
buy implements that were more suited to
her students, such as dominoes attached
to a track. She wanted all of the students
to know immediately when the chain
reaction worked, and so as a finale, they
launched a toy car into a full-sized gong
they borrowed from the music teacher.
"The gong has a beautiful sound,"
Heitman says. "It is a very successful
sound."
Garver recognized Heitman's students
with a Grand Champion award,
which included additional funding
for the school's STEM programming.
Garver engineers visited the school and
participated in the students' woodworking
class to help them build chain reaction

And that impact also translates to Garver
employees who told company leadership
that it is important for them to have
opportunities to volunteer in their
communities.
"Being able to go back to where I
got my start, it made me a little bit
emotional," Stanley says of visiting her
old school. "I am very grateful that I
work for a company that cares that much
about their employees and about the
community."
While Garver has a long history of
philanthropy in the communities where it
works, most of its efforts have historically
been done in a centralized way, with little
involvement from employees.
"When I started as CEO seven
years ago, I was making most of those
decisions," Williams notes. "I said, 'This
is not working. There have to be more
people involved in this process.'"
As a result, in 2015, the company
launched GarverGives. The program
is organized by committees in each
of the company's offices and supports

OTHER GARVERGIVES
INITIATIVES
* In each of the last four years, Garver's
Frisco, Texas, office has mentored high
school students throughout a semester,
culminating with the awarding of
scholarships. Garver has contributed
more than $10,000 in scholarships to
the district.
* Garver's North Little Rock, Arkansas,
committee sponsors TinkerFest, an
event dedicated to promoting the
exploration of engineering and science
with more than 40 hands-on activities.
* GarverGives, along with employees
at Garver's Fayetteville, Arkansas,
office, donated $30,000 to a children's
hospital in Northwest Arkansas in 2018.
* Tulsa, Oklahoma, employees held a
fundraising drive and pancake breakfast
for A New Leaf, a charity that provides
developmentally disabled people with
life skills and job training.

To view a video about Garver's
Centennial Celebration, visit:
GarverUSA.com/centennial

organizations that are important to
employees. Since then, GarverGives has
supported more than 300 organizations and
donated nearly $600,000-with employees
volunteering more than 1,500 hours.
"When people began to do things they
were passionate about doing in their own
communities, that part of the culture
grew because more people had their
hands on it," Williams says. n
Calvin Hennick is a business, technology,
and travel writer based in Milton,
Massachusetts.

"When people began to do things
they were passionate about doing
in their own communities, that part
of the culture grew because more
people had their hands on it."
DAN WILLIAMS
CHAIRMAN EMERITUS
GARVER
WINTER 2020

ENGINEERING INC.

43
http://www.GarverUSA.com/centennial
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