“Hands-on STEM education is critical to building the pipeline of future engineers and innovators, and Tesla’s support enables us to impact thousands of young minds to potentially pursue a career in mobility.” - Lori Gatmaitan, director of the SAE Foundation.
WARRENDALE, Pa. (PRWEB) January 16, 2020
SAE Foundation announced today a four-year, $1.5 million grant to launch a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education programming initiative in Nevada schools. The grant is part of Tesla’s $37.5 million investment in Nevada’s K-12 STEM and sustainability education. SAE International and Tesla will work together to impact up to 25,000 kindergarten through eighth grade students in Nevada by implementing SAE’s A World In Motion® (AWIM) STEM Program. The hands-on and innovative AWIM program will be introduced in classrooms across the state and provide students with access to mobility industry professionals and students who are pursuing more advanced studies.
“Tesla is on the forefront of the mobility industry, advancing innovations and knowledge sharing, so we are honored to partner with Tesla to expand our popular AWIM STEM program in Nevada and inspire students across the state through hands-on learning experiences,” said Lori Gatmaitan, director of the SAE Foundation. “Hands-on STEM education is critical to building the pipeline of future engineers and innovators, and Tesla’s support enables us to impact thousands of young minds to potentially pursue a career in mobility.”
Benchmarked to national standards, SAE’s AWIM program is a teacher-administered, industry volunteer-assisted program that incorporates STEM learning experiences through hands-on activities and challenges that reinforce classroom STEM learning.
AWIM supports Tesla’s K-12 STEM education pipeline through customizable programming that complements the structured programming of specific school districts to provide in-class, STEM exposure during each phase of education (grades K-3, 4-6 and 6-8). Additionally, where possible, programming will be integrated within districts and schools that feed into high schools that have active robotics teams supported by Tesla.
SAE will serve as a liaison between Tesla and participating schools, coordinating all program activities, including teacher and volunteer training, program implementation and teacher and volunteer support throughout the program. SAE and Tesla’s collaboration also includes plans to engage Formula SAE Electric students from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the University of Nevada, Reno through SAE’s AWIM LearnTwice, a program that places university and high school students in classrooms as volunteers and mentors.
The goal of the SAE-Tesla partnership is to reach up to 5,000 students in the first year of program implementation, increasing annually to almost 8,000 students per year in year four.
For more information on how to get involved with the SAE Foundation, visit: http://www.saefoundation.org.
About the SAE Foundation
The mission of the SAE Foundation is to increase student achievement and participation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to build a STEM-fluent workforce. Funds raised by the SAE Foundation support SAE International’s award-winning A World In Motion® (AWIM) program, Collegiate Design SeriesTM (CDS), awards and scholarships. SAE’s STEM education programs enable students to develop the 21st century skills needed to succeed in real-world work environments and connect classroom learning with real-life application. SAE’s STEM programs have reached more than 6 million students worldwide and engaged more than 30,000 STEM industry professionals as volunteers. SAE International is a global association engaging nearly 200,000 engineers, technical experts and volunteers to advance mobility knowledge and solutions for the benefit of humanity. Get involved today http://www.saefoundation.org
About Tesla
Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy through all-electric vehicles and clean energy generation and storage products. The goal of Tesla’s education investment is to encourage students of all backgrounds to consider a career in STEM or sustainability, and to develop the next generation of engineers in Nevada. Learn more here.
Contact:
SAE International
Justin Falce
724.772.7562
pr@sae.org
Tesla
Press@tesla.com