DOW | 2021 ESG REPORT | 69 COMMUNITY INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE AND PLACES WHERE WE LIVE AND WORK Developing Tomorrow’s Innovators Dow embraces the importance and value of investing in STEM education. We help prepare and energize a diverse and robust future workforce by cultivating interest in STEM subjects, inspiring students to pursue STEM careers and accelerating their readiness. We do this by: • Preparing and inspiring the next diverse generation of skilled trades professionals, manufacturers, engineers and chemists to support students and teachers in Dow communities with access to best-in-class programs and curriculums. • Reaching under-represented students to explore STEM fields and gain interest in real-world STEM careers. • Cultivating the curiosity and innovative mindsets in our next-generation workforce to gainfully fill the jobs of tomorrow. In 2021, our work with FIRST contributed to: FIRST global reach: 11, 9 5 0 students reached globally 2,001 students directly supported through 116 Dow team grants 1,768 students improved their academic performance 1,451 students/alumni attained, retained or improved employment 633 students/alumni earned post-secondary degrees Honoka Ito , a process automation engineer at Dow, helped inspire 80 female high school students from Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, Japan, as part of the TOMODACHI Initiative . The purpose of the TOMODACHI Initiative is to develop a future generation of Japanese and American leaders in STEM, sustainability and women’s empowerment. The Initiative has impacted more than 9,700 participants, and through Dow’s partnership, more than 50 female STEM undergraduates received internship opportunities, and 23 others pursued post-secondary degrees in STEM. “For high school girls, a career in science, much less as a maintenance engineer in a factory, is probably the furthest thing from their minds. I hope that my experience will give them some encouragement,” Ito said. ROBOTS THAT BUILD THE NEXT GENERATION Since 2014, Dow has supported FIRST ® , an international robotics community that prepares young people for the future and advances STEM education worldwide. The organization helps build a proven talent pipeline, with 89% of FIRST alumni declaring a major in STEM. In 2021, Dow partnered with FIRST to strengthen and expand program offerings across 18 countries , supporting local competitions and teacher workshops that impacted more than 11,000 students and improved the academic performance of more than 1,700 students. Dow grants directly to FIRST teams, of which 95% are mentored or coached by Dow employees.