Hands-On STEM Program, Community Resource
Centers for Fulton County Schools'
Students
ATLANTA, Aug. 22,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota USA Foundation announced grants of up to
$8.6 million to prepare Fulton County Schools (FCS) students for
future careers in science, technology, engineering, and math
(STEM). The collaboration is part of the Driving Possibilities
initiative and is a five-year phased rollout of programming 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 nearly $2.3
million in the first year, and more to come in years ahead,
we're looking forward to the expansion of Driving Possibilities in
the Fulton County 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.
"Georgia is home to crucial
Toyota Financial Services and Lexus operations, and we want to
demonstrate how much we appreciate our local communities," says
Scott Cooke, Toyota Financial
Services president and CEO. "We consider it a privilege to support
Fulton County Schools educators
who are providing young people with essential knowledge and
skillsets in science, technology, engineering, and math."
Driving Possibilities in Georgia will focus on supporting three key
areas in Fulton County
Schools:
- Increasing the level of service at existing Student and Family
Engagement (SAFE) Centers. Located in two FCS high schools,
Toyota's support will expand community resources and services to
also include PreK to eighth graders at identified schools.
- Integrating STEM learning with the Career, Technical, and
Agricultural Education (CTAE) curriculum to provide additional
learning resources to students.
- Providing STEM-specific professional development for FCS
educators, with support from Kennesaw State
University.
In 2022, the Toyota USA
Foundation announced Driving Possibilities, a 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).
Fulton County Schools is the
seventh site to launch Driving Possibilities programming, which is
based on more than 65 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 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, 2024, TFS employed
approximately 3,800 team members nationwide, and had assets
totaling over $149 billion. The
company 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 X,
formerly known as Twitter, at www.x.com/toyotafinancial and posts
on Facebook at www.facebook.com/toyotafinancial.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the
cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 65 years,
and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility
through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly
1,500 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 49,000 people in the U.S. who
have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more
than 34 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants.
By 2025, Toyota's 10th 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 29 electrified
options.
Through its Driving Possibilities initiative, the Toyota
USA Foundation has committed to
creating innovative educational programs within, and in partnership
with, historically underserved communities near the company's U.S.
operating sites.
For more information about Toyota, visit
www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
Media Contacts:
Vincent Bray
vincent.bray@toyota.com
Cindy Lacy
cindy.lacy@toyota.com
Amanda Roark
amanda.roark@toyota.com
TFS Media Line
(469) 486-9065
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America