Benzinga | Mar 4, 2021 09:31AM EST

Dril-Quip, Inc. Collaborates with ASME Foundation to support K-12 STEM Education

On this World Engineering Day, the ASME Foundation, fundraising arm of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, welcomes Dril-Quip, Inc. (NYSE:DRQ) to its growing family of supporters.

Dril-Quip, Inc., a leading manufacturer of drilling and production equipment for the energy industry, is joining other institutional and individual donors to support ASME's signature INSPIRE STEM Readiness program. INSPIRE uses highly interactive online and in-class content to give K-12 students an immersive, hands-on education experience that opens a window into the wonders of engineering. The program invites exploration of basic engineering concepts, and introduces young people to various STEM career paths, including those in the energy sector.

"We are delighted that Dril-Quip is partnering with the ASME Foundation to inspire more young girls and boys to explore the limitless possibilities of an engineering career," says Kathleen Lobb, managing director of ASME philanthropy and executive director of the ASME Foundation. "Thanks to supporters like Dril-Quip, we are able to bring our INSPIRE STEM Readiness curriculum to more schools and to help more young students learn to 'think like an engineer' when exploring solutions to many of life's challenges, engineering or otherwise."

INSPIRE is currently available in more than 3,400 schools in all 50 states. A core priority of the INSPIRE program is to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion across the engineering profession by inspiring more girls, women, and students of color to pursue STEM-related education and careers. More than half of the nearly 400,000 students who have participated in the program to date attend schools classified as Title I, and 54 percent of INSPIRE participants identify as underserved minorities.

"We are pleased to partner with the ASME Foundation to support the INSPIRE STEM program," says Dr. Jim Kaculi, vice president of engineering for Dril-Quip, Inc. "Being involved and giving back to our local community is very humbling and rewarding to Dril-Quip. Having our engineers so engaged with students in an interactive classroom setting and supporting STEM efforts will help K-12 student development of young, innovative, and inspiring minds. Our goal is to ensure support for the next generation of engineers needed to power our world in the future."