WATERBURY, CT — Balloons, marbles, ice, simple machines, and a lot of laughter is one way to describe an encounter. Since November 2018, Eemax employees travel monthly to lead STEM activities for an energetic group of 5^th graders enrolled in STARBASE CT at Naugatuck Valley Community College. STARBASE CT serves as a vehicle to aid urban youth in exploring STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields in a supportive, collaborative manner, through hands-on investigations, to foster life-long learning. According to STARBASE: Over the next decade, employment in science and engineering occupations is expected to increase at almost FOUR TIMES the rate for ALL OTHER occupations. At the same time, less than 1% of current elementary school students will seek advanced education in the sciences. “At Eemax, our goal was to find organizations in our community that foster STEM education,” explains Jens Bolleyer, vice president and general manager, “This partnership was a natural fit.” Being able to work with and support educational activities that encourage hands-on problem solving and innovative thinking is a win for our industry as America faces a decline in young people entering today’s skilled trades that now require a strong foundation of learning through STEM studies. “Even after just a couple of hours with these kids you could see that their interest in solving the challenges of science and math is very high,” reflects Selena Carella, training center coordinator. “Being a part of their learning and encouraging them to explore, try again, and work together was very rewarding.” To learn more about STARBASE and how your organization can be a part of this program, contact Felix Cowey, deputy director of STARBASE Connecticut at fcowey@starbase-ct.com.   More About Heart of Comfort (HOC) at Eemax In 2018, our parent company, Rheem^â, introduced the Heart of Comfort program at each of its business unit sites in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The HOC at Eemax identifies philanthropic causes and coordinates volunteer opportunities to support the communities where our employees and customers live and work. Other recent HOC activities include: the company’s participation in the United Way of Greater Waterbury’s annual Stock the Pantry Food Drive, and a local golf event where employees volunteered time to serve at the 33^rd Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut Annual Golf Tournament.