Building stronger communities worldwide: TIers uphold a long-standing commitment to giving back

TI’s founders believed that strong companies build strong communities and strong communities build strong companies. More than 90 years later, TIers around the world are keeping alive this spirit of giving back by continuing to identify and address vital needs in the communities where we live and work.

For Analog Design Manager Stefan Dannenberger, that means helping students in Norway practice their math and science skills to stay on the cutting edge of coding, robotics and electronics. “Technology is developing faster than the school curriculum here can adapt,” he said.

Since 2017, Stefan has been working to bridge the gap with Teach Kids Code, an Oslo-based nonprofit. Initially serving as the sole volunteer for the organization’s chapter in his hometown of Kolbotn, he now leads activities with other local participants to help over 40 students sharpen their coding skills.

“Many of them have been successful in coding competitions, which makes me so proud of these young innovators,” Stefan said. “We allow these kids to use their brain power and create something useful, interesting and fun. And we give them a place to meet their peers, share ideas and make friends.”

Inspired by Stefan’s work, an increasing number of TIers in Norway are now volunteering with Teach Kids Code, helping run workshops, judge competitions, and lead coding classes in Oslo and beyond. “I strongly believe that if we help each other and share knowledge,” Stefan said,“we will be able to achieve higher goals and build stronger communities together.”

TIers work to create positive change in communities worldwide

Stefan’s dedication exemplifies the commitment among TI employees worldwide to create positive change by volunteering in their local communities – there are more than 20 employee-led community involvement teams at TI sites around the globe.

For Erin Zhou, an invitation to join TI’s Shanghai-based community involvement team was a welcome opportunity to contribute. Teaming up with Stepping Stones, a nonprofit focused on supporting disadvantaged students, she organizes classes and activities for children from migrant families in the area, mobilizing colleagues to volunteer.

“Migrant children tend to have less access to quality education,” Erin said. “Some of them are very talented and highly interested in science and technology, but have few opportunities for learning, especially in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). That’s not what we want to see in our communities.”

Global focus, local impact

Stefan and Erin are just two of the thousands of dedicated TIers working to build stronger communities in our locations around the world. In the first half of 2025, teams of TI volunteers worked to:

• Support educational initiatives and social services programs across the United States. In the San Francisco Bay Area, TIers created an after-school program that brings STEM education to students in underserved communities. In North Texas, TI volunteers partnered with United Way of Metropolitan Dallas to build accommodations for the disabled, distribute food to families in need, plant trees in urban neighborhoods, and tutor elementary school students. And in Utah, TI employees helped launch a United Way community center that will offer early education, literacy and STEM classes.
• Ignite interest in STEM and environmental ecosystems in Germany. To help neurodiverse students with special educational needs get excited about STEM subjects, TI volunteers led tactile coding activities. Additionally, the team created an “insect hotel” to raise environmental awareness, welcoming a bumblebee as the first resident.
• Empower children to visualize their dreams in Taiwan. TI volunteers partnered with the nonprofit Design for Change Taiwan to bring a vision board program to a local elementary school, helping 65 students discover their individual talents and take the first steps toward their dreams.

_{In Taiwan, TI volunteers led a vision board workshop designed to help students explore their potential and develop actionable plans for the future}  

• Restore and preserve river areas in Malaysia. TI volunteers participated in a restoration program at the Taman Melawati River Three Park in Kuala Lumpur, planting pollinator-friendly flowers, collecting dried leaves for mulching, building a rainwater runoff drain, and conducting waste cleanup along the main road and river area.
• Boost community well-being and self-sufficiency in the Philippines. Near TI locations in Baguio and Clark, TI volunteers planted gardens and installed rainwater harvesting systems to improve community access to food and clean water. Additionally, they offered training sessions to teach gardening and harvesting skills to area residents.
• Create a better learning environment for children in Mexico. TI volunteers painted and cleaned a school library in Cuauhtémoc, Aguascalientes, giving students a more conducive environment for reading and learning.
• Provide flood recovery and public health support in India. In February, TI funded emergency shelter kits for more than 300 families affected by floods in the northeastern state of Assam, providing essential materials to repair living spaces. TI also supported a public health project for Indian schools, improving sanitation facilities and installing water purification systems to create healthier learning environments.

To Andy Smith, executive director of the TI Foundation and director of TI giving and volunteering, TI’s global volunteer work in 2025 epitomizes the company’s long-standing commitment to philanthropy. “Giving back has always been fundamental to who we are at TI – it’s about strengthening the communities where we live and work,” he said. “Each generation of leaders has embraced this commitment, and today our employees continue this meaningful tradition, dedicating their time, skills and energy to create lasting change in our communities around the world, and touching lives in ways that will ripple for years to come.”