Nepris, an online platform that makes it possible for K12 teachers and students to connect with industry experts, brings real world relevance and improves student engagement in STEM subjects.

“A recent study by Microsoft found that 57 percent of boys and 68 percent of girls who chose a high tech career say they were inspired by one person, or one event, or one class during the middle or high school years,” said Sabari Raja, Founder and CEO of Nepris. “A vast majority of our K12 students do not have an opportunity to meet these role models, they do not know what STEM professionals do. At Nepris, we want to bridge the gap between industry and education so students can make informed decisions when it comes to college and career.”

Nepris makes it easy to engage students in math and science by connecting industry experts to the classroom for an interactive discussion.  Teachers create a request based on a STEM subject and a topic, Nepris finds and matches the right industry professionals and enables them to virtually connect with a classroom for an interactive discussion or to help evaluate projects. For local and global businesses, Nepris provides a platform that can help companies reach their education outreach goals without the time and costs typically involved.

“I decided to participate in Nepris because it’s a great opportunity to connect with industry professionals,” said Pam McBride, Engineering and Robotics Teacher at McKinney High School. “I was really pleased with the level of engagement my students showed. They asked really good questions and were more interactive than during a normal lesson. I will definitely be incorporating Nepris into the classroom more often.”

“Nepris was one of the first tenants of The Collide Center,” said John Valencia, McKinney Economic Development Corporation.  “It’s exciting to be able to help start-up companies like Nepris get off the ground and succeed. Nepris is being used by more than 1,000 teachers in 107 schools across twenty eight states! The Collide Center is proud to have played a role. We want business leaders and entrepreneurs to know that the city of McKinney supports the development, expansion and relocation of new and existing companies and start-ups.”

Nepris has also received funding from NewSchools, a nonprofit venture philanthropy firm that raises capital for funds to support education entrepreneurs who are transforming public education. This is the first investment in the state of Texas for NewSchools. Nepris is also funded by investors from the Collide Center.

The Collide Center, created in a partnership with Curious Complex and the McKinney Economic Development Corporation, provides workspace, resources and training for tech start-ups in their initial stages so that they can grow and eventually move into their own office space, creating quality jobs in our community. The Collide Center is open to companies working on cool or innovative products and emerging technologies.

For more information about how to get started with Nepris or become an industry expert visit the company’s website at http://www.nepris.com/.