Companies kick in cash to launch initiatives in SAISD, Harlandale.

A $250,000 gift from AT&T will be used to start a dropout-prevention program, which also will steer high school students toward careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Called STEM for the four careers, the program will operate within San Antonio Independent School District.

A second program, called MicroSociety, will operate at Adams Elementary School in Harlandale Independent School District.

Also announced Friday night was a $50,000 gift from San Antonio businessman and chamber member Max Navarro, which the chamber will use to enhance its small-business services.

The STEM program will be patterned after the Hispanic Engineering Science and Technology Conference at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, chamber President Ramiro Cavazos said before the banquet, attended by about 1,400 people at the Grand Hyatt downtown.

Two thousand SAISD students will be selected by the district, assisted by a chamber program coordinator, on the basis of dropout risk and interest in science, technology, engineering and math.

The students will tour college campuses this spring. In the fall, the chamber will stage an exposition in which all area colleges and universities can participate.

“Students will be able to see they can overcome obstacles,” Cavazos said. “Our goal is to leverage the $250,000 gift with new corporate sponsors to make it a $500,000 program, like in the (Rio Grande) Valley,” he added.

Hispanic chamber members are encouraged to become mentors to the students selected for STEM, Cavazos said.