“With support from the FCA Foundation, we are able to generate new opportunities for teachers and students each year and bring this program to thousands of students that otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity.” Lori Gatmaitan, SAE Foundation Director
WARRENDALE, Pa. (PRWEB) February 27, 2020
The FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, awarded $95,000 to the SAE Foundation in support of SAE International’s A World In Motion® (AWIM) program to provide hands-on STEM education to as many as 3,000 students in classrooms throughout Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
“For more than 32 years, SAE’s AWIM program has been successfully impacting students and teachers in communities across the country,” said Lori Gatmaitan, SAE Foundation Director. “With support from the FCA Foundation, we are able to generate new opportunities for teachers and students each year and bring this program to thousands of students that otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity.”
SAE’s AWIM supports existing Pre-K – 8th grade school curriculums with a hands-on “Engineering Design Experience,” which requires students to work in teams to solve a “challenge” by designing, building and testing a product. AWIM works to engage and inspire students at the earliest age possible to pursue STEM subjects and careers.
Previously, the FCA Foundation provided funding to establish AWIM programs in Toledo, Ohio; Kokomo and Tipton, Indiana; and Belvidere, Illinois. This year’s FCA Foundation grant will enable the continuation of those programs, and expansion of AWIM to the Barack Obama Leadership Academy in Detroit and the Huron and Ojibwa Elementary Schools in Macomb County, Michigan.
Added Christine Estereicher, global chief operating officer for the FCA Foundation: “In order to fully realize the potential of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and other new technologies, we must continue to find innovative ways to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.”
In total, FCA Foundation funding will support SAE’s goal of reaching 95 classrooms: 35 classrooms in Toledo, Ohio; 20 classrooms in Belvidere, Illinois; 20 classrooms near Kokomo and Tipton, Indiana; eight classrooms in Detroit; and 12 classrooms in Macomb County, Michigan.
For more information on how to get involved with the SAE Foundation, visit: http://www.saefoundation.org.
About SAE International
SAE International is a global association committed to advancing mobility knowledge and solutions for the benefit of humanity. By engaging nearly 200,000 engineers, technical experts and volunteers, we connect and educate mobility professionals to enable safe, clean, and accessible mobility solutions. We act on two priorities: encouraging a lifetime of learning for mobility engineering professionals and setting the standards for industry engineering. We strive for a better world through the work of our philanthropic SAE Foundation, including award-winning programs like A World in Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series™. More at http://www.sae.org.
About SAE Foundation
The SAE Foundation encourages and increases 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. Overall, SAE’s STEM programs have reached more than six 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. http://www.saefoundation.org
About the FCA Foundation
The FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, supports organizations and initiatives that help empower people, build strong, resilient communities and generate meaningful and measurable societal impacts particularly in the field of education.