11-17-2025
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The 15th Annual CORE4 STEM Expo once again brought energy, excitement, and opportunity to the Boeing Center at Tech Port as almost 2,000 middle school students from five area school districts explored careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Presented by the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Port San Antonio, the two-day event held Nov. 5-6 has become a community tradition and a key part of the region’s efforts to prepare the next generation of innovators.
Hundreds of area students gathered in the Boeing Center to learn and explore during this year's CORE4 STEM Expo.
Since its launch in 2010, CORE4 has connected more than 25,000 local students to hands-on STEM experiences, introducing them to high-demand careers that are already shaping the city’s economy and are growing in their proverbial backyard.
“San Antonio is at a pivotal moment in developing a future-ready workforce,” said Luis Rodriguez, President and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber. “Through CORE4 STEM, we are bridging the gap between students and opportunity, and partners like Port San Antonio, Toyota and others make that vision possible.”
Students engage with the interactive Boeing Aerospace Adventure inside AREA 21 exhibit space.
Throughout the Boeing Center’s exhibit halls, students built robots, explored flight and space technologies, and engaged with professionals working in some of the region’s most advanced industries.
Leading San Antonio employers, including Boeing, Toyota Texas, CPS Energy, Southwest Research Institute, H-E-B, and SAWS offered interactive demonstrations that showed students how STEM skills translate into real-world innovation.
Underscoring the connection between education and industry, Tyler Schroeder, Manager of State and Local government Operations at Boeing San Antonio, spoke about how STEM learning directly supports the region’s growing aerospace sector.
Companies like Toyota Texas, CPS Energy and SAWS take part in CORE4STEM to connect with tomorrow's workforce.
“Here in San Antonio, Boeing plays a vital role in aerospace,” said Schroeder, who also serves as co-chair of government affairs for the Hispanic Chamber’s board. “Our workforce’s talent is a testament to what happens when students get real STEM opportunities.”
Toyota Texas, this year’s title sponsor, emphasized that industry must play a role in developing tomorrow’s talent.
“Toyota is driven by movement—not just in the vehicles we produce, but in the lives we help move forward,” said Carla Wright, Vice President of Manufacturing, at the kickoff press conference. “The future of our company and others like us depends on empowering students to pursue STEM careers.”
STEM-related jobs are growing at a faster rate than all occupations across the U.S.
That message was echoed by Juan Antonio Flores, Chair of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Executive Vice President of Government Affairs at Port San Antonio.
“Our future as a city will be defined by STEM talent—especially how we prepare young Latinos and Latinas to lead in the industries shaping tomorrow’s economy,” Flores said. “Programs like CORE4 matter because they ensure that every student, no matter their background, has a pathway into the innovation careers driving San Antonio’s growth.”
WEX Foundation Program Manager Kat Bolish describes the NASA-funded Brickbot project, which aims to build lunar infrastructure using regolith, or moon soil.
The Port is proud to partner with the Hispanic Chamber and other organizations that share this vision. Across our 1,900-acre Tech Port campus, more than 80 employers and 19,000 professionals advance work in aerospace, defense, cybersecurity, robotics, and advanced manufacturing—industries that depend on the very skills CORE4 inspires students to pursue.
As CORE4 celebrated its 15th year, one message was clear: CORE4 STEM embodies Port San Antonio’s mission of Building Futures: connecting students, industry, and community to power San Antonio’s tomorrow.
Image credits: Mark Sobhani
Video credits: Bill Caldera
