Hands-On STEM Program, New Teacher Center
Creates Opportunities for Huntsville
Students
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Aug. 10,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota USA Foundation announced grants of up to
$6.7 million to prepare Huntsville City Schools' students for future
careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The
collaboration is part of Toyota's Driving Possibilities initiative
and is a five-year phased rollout of programing in select
schools.
"Our goal is to increase awareness of future STEM careers while
helping build sustainable programs in the communities where our
Toyota team members live and work," said Tellis Bethel, group vice president of social
innovation, Toyota. "With $2.9
million in the first year, and more to come in years ahead,
we're looking forward to the expansion of Driving Possibilities in
the Huntsville area."
Driving Possibilities focuses on PreK-12 education and builds on
existing programs across the country. The long-term initiative's
aim is to close educational gaps for students through innovative,
hands-on STEM programming while addressing the essential needs of
students and families.
"The Driving Possibilities framework provides a holistic
approach to addressing gaps in education," said Jason Puckett, president of Toyota Alabama. "Our
mission is to collaborate with local schools, community partners
and other businesses, to help students reach their full potential.
The success of our students will determine the future of our
community."
"Toyota understands the importance of training and preparing our
students to fill high-tech, 21st Century jobs by the time they
graduate," said Lt. Gov. Will
Ainsworth. "Alabama
consistently ranks among the nation's leaders in economic
development and industrial recruitment, and thanks to generous
corporate partners like Toyota, we have the tools necessary to
maintain that top ranking for many years to come."
Today's announcement supports a new industrial tech program at
the recently announced Huntsville
City Schools Career Tech Center. The program creates a direct
pathway into high-demand manufacturing careers. Driving
Possibilities is also funding new teacher coaches, training and
mentorship at select schools in partnership with the New Teacher
Center.
In 2022, the Toyota USA
Foundation announced Driving Possibilities, a $110 million national, career readiness and
community engagement initiative, launched to prepare youth for the
careers of tomorrow. It is a unique approach that brings together
educators, local and national nonprofits, and communities to create
limitless possibilities for all. With efforts across the PreK-12
education continuum, the program is the largest and most
comprehensive in Toyota's history. The initiative is funded by
Toyota USA Foundation, Toyota
Motor North America (TMNA) and Toyota Financial Services
(TFS).
Huntsville, Ala. is the fifth
site to launch Driving Possibilities programming, which is based on
more than 60 years of active support in Toyota communities across
the U.S. and builds off the successful model in West Dallas.
Toyota USA
Foundation
The Toyota USA
Foundation is a charitable endowment created to support education
programs serving PreK through 12th-grade students and their
teachers in the United States,
with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math
(STEM). For more information about the Toyota USA Foundation, visit
www.toyotaeffect.com/impact.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of
the cultural fabric in North
America for more than 65 years, and is committed to
advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota
and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the
design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and
trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota's 14th plant
in North Carolina will begin to
manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With
more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker,
Toyota currently offers 24 electrified options.
About Toyota Financial Services
Toyota Financial Services (TFS) is the brand for finance and
related products for Toyota in the United
States, offering retail auto financing and leasing through
Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (TMCC) and Toyota Lease Trust. TFS
also offers vehicle and payment protection products through Toyota
Motor Insurance Services (TMIS). The company services Lexus dealers
and customers using the Lexus Financial Services brand.
As of March 31, 2022, TFS employed
approximately 3,700 team members nationwide, and had assets
totaling over $135 billion. It is
part of a worldwide network of comprehensive financial services
offered by Toyota Financial Services Corporation, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation.
We announce material financial information using the investor
relations section of our website (www.toyotafinancial.com) and SEC
filings. We use these channels, press releases, and social media to
communicate about our company, our services and other issues. While
not all information we post on social media is of a material
nature, some information could be material. Therefore, we encourage
those interested in our company to review our messages on Twitter
at www.twitter.com/toyotafinancial and posts on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/toyotafinancial/.
Media Contacts:
Bekah Schmidt
bekah.schmidt@toyota.com
Amanda Roark
amanda.roark@toyota.com
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America