TGR Foundation is excited to welcome 30 new educators across the country to the 2025 – 2026 Department of Defense (DoD) STEM Ambassador program. Managed and facilitated by TGR Foundation since 2021, the program is a year-long initiative that provides funding, training and support to advance Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and prepare students to enter the future STEM workforce.
Each STEM Ambassador is selected through a rigorous application process by an organization in the Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC) or by a DoD agency. DSEC is a collaboration between academia, industry, non-profit organizations and government entities aimed at broadening STEM literacy and preparing the next generation STEM workforce. TGR Foundation has been a DSEC partner since the consortium’s inception in 2019.
Throughout their time in the program, STEM Ambassadors:
- Develop Impact projects to ensure students have access to meaningful STEM learning experiences.
- Produce vlog posts about ways to promote high-quality STEM education for students.
- Present at a variety of STEM and education conferences nationwide.
- Share STEM resources and opportunities with students and educators.
- Engage in professional development aligned with emerging STEM fields and workforce needs.
TGR Foundation has selected Alex Kopp and Linh Ho as its 2025-2026 DoD STEM Ambassadors.
Kopp is a mathematics and computer science teacher at the Science Leadership Academy at Beeber, in Philadelphia, PA. He is dedicated to facilitating interdisciplinary projects so that students can see how STEM bridges connections across disciplines and can help spark students’ interests.
“I first learned about TGR Foundation this year when the organization came to our school to recruit students for after-school programming,” he said. “I was blown away by the breadth of topics offered. I am ecstatic to join the TGR Foundation team as a STEM Ambassador and help create more learning opportunities for students.”
Ho, a science teacher at South Junior High School in Anaheim, CA, has more than 20 years of experience in education and is passionate about building innovative learning experiences, such as incorporating hands-on learning in the field of nanotechnology, to her students.
“I feel blessed and excited to serve as a DoD STEM Ambassador, empowering students with hands-on, real-world STEM experiences” she said. “I look forward to growing alongside fellow educators and creating opportunities that inspire my students to see themselves as future innovators and changemakers who positively impact their communities and the world.”
In addition to their work as DoD STEM Ambassadors, Kopp and Ho will also support TGR Foundation throughout the year in its mission to empower students to pursue their passions through education. TGR Foundation is proud to support these educators and looks forward to the impact they will make in classrooms and communities nationwide.
For more information about educator professional learning opportunities, visit TGRFoundation.org. Learn more about the DoD STEM Ambassador Program and other educators in the program at https://dodstem.us/meet/ambassadors/.
