Toyota Donates Erlanger Engineering Laboratory for STEAM High school

Toyota has donated its Quality production Engineering laboratory to campus in Erlanger, Kentucky, in order to create and develop a new STEAM based center. The name of the school will be the Ignite Institute at Roebling Innovation Center, named after the famous engineer John A. Roebling. Roebling was not only an internationally known engineer but a student of philosophy as well. He was a civic and moral leader, a successful businessman and a manufacturer. This Institute will support a world-class STEAM education to encourage future generations to be creative, highly skilled, work-ready problem solvers and tech-savvy.

Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin granted $6.8 million, which will be given to Boone County School for renovation and adaption of Toyota’s office and engineering laboratories at the high school. The work will be finished and ready for the students in fall of school year 2019-2020.

“Since announcing the transition from Erlanger, we collaborated with civic, business and education leaders on how we could best serve the region,” said Mike Goss, general manager, Toyota Social Innovation. “We hope to create a lasting positive impact through this school, helping prepare students for the next generation of jobs. We invite other companies and businesses, and the region’s civic leaders to help make the school a success.”

The goal of this Institute and this new facility is to create more opportunities to learn in STEAM, either in science technology engineering, mathematics or art. This will be opportunity for everyone in the region.

“This school will include the best aspects of innovative schools around the country,” said Boone Schools Superintendent Randy Poe. “The entire school will be based on a project-based learning, real industry-case methodology. We want students to be empowered, so that when the graduate they have the opportunities of a lifetime.”

This school will be public, free and inclusive. It will serve 1,000 students. This center has been approved by Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin, Kentucky Secretary for Education and Workforce Development Hal Heiner, and Education Commissioner Stephen L. Pruitt, among others.

“It is exciting to see dynamic regional partnerships coalescing around the new Work Ready Skills Initiative, as we seek to transform workforce training in the Commonwealth,” said Gov. Bevin. “I applaud this innovative collaboration between Toyota and local education, business and community partners. This project serves as additional proof that Kentucky is on track to become the nation’s unparalleled hub of engineering and manufacturing excellence.”

Commissioner Pruitt said, “The 21st century demands workers who can think creatively, solve problems and adapt quickly to change. The Ignite Institute at Roebling Innovation Center will give students an incredible opportunity to learn and hone these critical skills, which will ensure their future success and provide our business community with highly sought-after employees who will fuel our Commonwealth’s economy.”
Other leading businessman and leaders are interested in and excited about this opportunity.

“It’s a great thing that Toyota has done,” said Trey Grayson, President and CEO, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. “It will be transformative not only for students and educators, but for business and industry and will have a tremendous impact on the workforce pipeline in our region.”

“I think the catalytic impact of this will be profound. It will be long term, and it will be a lasting legacy for Toyota like nothing else that they could have done,” said Dr. James Votruba, President Emeritus, Northern Kentucky University, and board chairman of St. Elizabeth Healthcare.

The Boone district will construct and own the building, all the facilities and ground. Ignite institute will operate as a Boone County District of Innovation School of Choice. The plan is also to round up leaders, business advisers to make a foundation to support this center.

The laboratory spreads across 183,000-square-foot of engineering workspaces. The gift also includes approximately 22 acres of land. Toyota plans to move from the lab building by the end of 2017, as it still occupies this campus in Erlanger.

http://pressroom.toyota.com/video_display.cfm?video_id=33884