TI Foundation Grants Fund STEM Expansion in Sherman, Denison Schools

By GvilleTX Newsroom

Sherman ISD and Denison ISD are expanding STEM programs with Texas Instruments Foundation-backed grants as North Texas schools work to connect students with technology and manufacturing careers, according to Educate Texas and district records. The record describes separate awards, not a single $2 million Sherman-Denison partnership: Sherman ISD says it received a $2.6 million, two-year grant, while Denison ISD says a $1.9 million TI Foundation grant to Educate Texas will support its expansion.

The work centers on Sherman and Denison, where district officials have described STEM as part of a broader college and job pipeline. Sherman ISD says its program will align student pathways with Grayson College, regional employers and the area’s semiconductor and advanced-manufacturing workforce.

Sherman ISD says its TI Foundation STEM Implementation Grant will expand STEM education across the district, strengthen classroom instruction, add resources and increase hands-on learning for students from prekindergarten through 12th grade. Educate Texas says the 2026 grant will launch districtwide STEM work in Sherman ISD and reach roughly 7,550 students, along with teachers and staff.

Denison ISD says its grant will support teacher STEM training, stronger math instruction, Advanced Placement options, expanded career and technical education, AP and dual-credit pathways, student supports and extracurricular STEM programs. The district says the work is intended to match STEM education with industry needs and give students college and workforce skills through hands-on experiences and mentorship.

Educate Texas describes the Sherman and Denison awards as part of more than $5.7 million in 2026 TI Foundation grants through the organization. Educate Texas says TI Foundation STEM investments through Educate Texas began with Lancaster ISD in 2012 and have totaled more than $35 million since then.

Denison ISD had already entered the TI Foundation STEM effort before the new two-year grant. Educate Texas said Denison was a first-time recipient in the 2025 grant cycle and later reported early 2025-26 results that included new K-4 STEAM summer camps, a districtwide college and career fair, elementary STEM clubs and an increase in industry-recognized certifications.

The school grants come as TI’s Sherman manufacturing plans draw state and federal attention. Texas Instruments says its Sherman expansion could bring a large private investment and thousands of company and indirect jobs. The National Institute of Standards and Technology says the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded TI funding for three fabrication plants in Texas and Utah, including direct funding for Sherman.

State education records frame STEM as hands-on learning tied to future careers. The Texas Education Agency says STEM education asks students to apply academic content to real-world problems, and TEA says industry-based certifications are used in public-school accountability to identify credentials tied to workforce, military or postsecondary readiness.