Forty-two Grade 5 pupils at Springhills Elementary School in Baguio City traded textbooks for hands-on experiments, building spaghetti towers and density models with Texas Instruments volunteers in the third round of ASSIST’s EXCITE STEM LEAP Discovery Program.

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Forty-two Grade 5 pupils at Springhills Elementary School stepped away from traditional textbooks and into active scientific discovery during the third round of the EXCITE STEM LEAP Discovery Program. By building spaghetti towers and density models, the young learners spent the day thinking like engineers through trial, error, and teamwork. 

STEM LEAP (STEM Learning and Application through Play) is a program by the Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST) that introduces students to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics through hands-on, play-based learning. The program is structured around three pathways — Excite, Explore, Experience — which aims to spark early interest in STEM fields and help children carry those skills forward toward real-world applications.

Guided by volunteers from Texas Instruments, students put scientific concepts into action through hands-on activities like the Density Tower and the Spaghetti Skyscraper Challenge. A key highlight of the day was an inspiring talk by Engr. Mc Zinsser Bagcal of Texas Instruments, who shared his personal journey into STEM and urged the young learners to stay curious and dream big.

This third leg of the EXCITE STEM LEAP Discovery Program marks the latest installment in the joint commitment of Texas Instruments and ASSIST to bring impactful CSR initiatives directly to public school classrooms across Baguio City. 

By bridging corporate resources with community needs, ASSIST partners with private sector leaders to turn strategic CSR goals and meaningful employee engagement into sustainable, long-term social impact for local communities. Visit www.assistasia.org to explore CSR opportunities with ASSIST.