Toyota USA Foundation to help extend manufacturing opportunities

Toyota Usa Foundation has issued two grants.This grants worth of $2.35 million to (PLTW), Project Lead The Way and (NAPE),National Alliance for Partnership in Equity. This grants were announced at annual North American Advanced Manufacturing Career Pathways Conference.
Goal is to expand approach to STEM programs across the United States.All this is to increase aid and retention of women and people of color in STEM careers.

“Persistent workforce gaps in STEM fields can be solved by increased participation and inclusion of diverse students,” said Mike Goss, president, Toyota USA Foundation. “These investments will impact elementary, middle, high school, and community colleges across the country, and represent industry and education coming together to better prepare the nation’s youth.”
Project Lead the Way with $2 million will help approximately 115 K-12 schools across the United States.This grant there will help for implementation of PLTW Launch (elementary), PLTW Gateway (middle school), PLTW Engineering (high school), and PLTW Computer Science (high school) programs. 40 High Schools were previously supported with Computer Integrated Manufacturing courses with grant of $1million .

“Toyota and the Toyota USA Foundation have been tremendous partners for many years, helping us engage and inspire students in their K-12 education and future careers,” said Dr. Vince Bertram, president and chief executive officer, PLTW. “Through the foundation’s continued support, we will train hundreds of teachers and engage thousands of students in PLTW’s hands-on, transformative learning experiences. These programs help prepare students with the knowledge and skills to compete in the workforce, solve challenges, contribute to global progress, and create a lasting impact on their communities and our country.”

NAPE already accepted $350,000 for some promotional tools and strategies.The organization also partner with PLTW to boost the partnership of women and people of color. The indirect strategies and tools developed because of this project will be influenced through NAPE’s current professional development activities,that are implemented across the nation.

“This award provides a unique opportunity for NAPE to equip educators with the student-focused tools they need to increase student awareness, interest, and choice to enter into advanced manufacturing STEM careers,” said Mimi Lufkin, chief executive officer, NAPE. “With such a wide scope, this grant can positively impact thousands of women and people of color.”