Timken and Junior Achievement China: Building Student Curiosity for STEM

The Timken Company supports communities worldwide through a range of initiatives, from hands-on volunteering to impactful, strategic partnerships. In China, a collaboration with Junior Achievement is inspiring students in six Timken communities to explore careers, build confidence, and imagine what’s possible.

When Lucia Lu describes Timken’s partnership with Junior Achievement (JA) China, one theme comes through clearly: volunteering is about showing up, sharing what you know, and helping students see a future they can step into. Lu, Timken manager of communications and government affairs in China, also implements Timken’s global corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy— work she calls both meaningful and personal. Based in Shanghai, Lu spearheads the company’s ongoing partnership with Junior Achievement, a collaboration that spans that spans 12 years. In partnership with local human resource leaders, the program has now expanded to six Timken manufacturing locations.

“Our partnership with Junior Achievement goes beyond a donation,” Lu explains. “Timken volunteers share their work experiences and provide hands-on training to underrepresented students of all ages. They engage with their time and expertise.”

Inspiring STEM Education and Resilient Communities

JA China’s mission — to help young people build character, creativity, and leadership to succeed in the global economy — aligns with Timken’s commitment to education, building curiosity in STEM, and strengthening communities where it has operations around the world. In 2025, Timken employee volunteers from the company’s facilities in Shanghai, Wuxi, Chengdu, Suzhou, Xiangtan and Yantai collectively shared their talents with more than 250 students for JA China educational Job Shadow Day programs and I Am a Little Builder STEM workshops.

Job Shadow Day invites vocational, high school and university students to visit Timken sites to see manufacturing, engineering and functional department work first-hand. Students tour a Timken facility, hear from site leaders, and join small‑group workshops. They learn ways engineering teams collaborate, how supply chain operations connect to production, and what skills matter most in a modern manufacturing environment.

“Many students don’t have a clear picture of what a manufacturing workplace is like,” Lu comments. “During a visit to Timken, they see how different departments collaborate and what skills are needed for a successful career.”

Timken employee volunteers also support JA’s I Am a Little Builder program, hosted at elementary schools in local communities. During these workshops, students work in teams to build the tallest tower — using only raw pasta and marshmallows — within a time limit. Through trial and error, students discover the geometries and physics of stable structures. “It’s a great introduction to STEM and foundational engineering concepts,” Lu says.

Volunteers learn, too. Many say the experience strengthens their communication skills and helps them connect with younger audiences in a way that’s different from their day‑to‑day work. Inspired by the students’ creativity and imagination, many volunteers return year-after-year building student confidence in problem solving and curiosity in STEM careers.

Building Lasting Connections

Whether students are touring a facility, meeting engineers, or building a tower out of pantry staples, they’re gaining new skills — and a clearer picture of what their future could be. Through JA China, Timken volunteers are helping turn curiosity into confidence, one hands‑on experience at a time.

This inspires Shelley Zheng, regional development director of JA China, who sees the tremendous power of education and personal attention. She recalls joining an activity at Timken’s Wuxi facility and seeing a volunteer interact with a young student who wasn’t the first to complete a task but was still rewarded for his efforts.

“Timken employees show extraordinary enthusiasm for public welfare initiatives and for volunteering to support educational programs. They contribute valuable ideas to make our programs more relevant to students and deliver more vivid and engaging learning experiences.”

Shelley Zheng
Regional Development Director, Junior Achievement China

“I applaud that volunteer,” Zheng said. “He had carefully listened to our training guidance, prepared thoughtfully, and, more importantly, valued every single student, offering them equal care and encouragement.”

A primary school student in Yantai expressed heartfelt appreciation through a class letter and asked volunteers to return soon, while a leadership forum event at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou offered one student the opportunity to organize an event, hear insights from Timken leadership and sharpen her communication skills interacting with experienced professionals.

“Timken employees show extraordinary enthusiasm for public welfare initiatives and for volunteering to support educational programs,” she adds. “They contribute valuable ideas to make our programs more relevant to students and deliver more vivid and engaging learning experiences. This is the benefit of having excellent corporate partners and volunteers.”

Timken plans to continue the JA China partnership in 2026, building on strong momentum and volunteer commitment, continuing to improve communities where employees live and work.

“These programs help us build a volunteer culture and encourage leadership development among our employees,” Lu says. “We’re proud to support the region and offer students access to STEM education.”

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