Ford’s Generous Donation Supports Girls in STEM
The next generation of drivers, engineers, and car buyers is only a few years away. They will be a part of one of the biggest changes in the automotive industry that we’ve ever seen, with many companies working towards producing completely electric cars and ditching the gasoline-powered engines once and for all. Perhaps that is why so many major car companies are working to inspire the next generation of drivers by focusing on the current needs of students. For Ford, that means supporting young girls in the STEM field, and we couldn’t agree more.
Major brands stepping forward
We all know that the past twelve months has been hard on everyone in just about every industry. Schools and educational programs have suffered as a result of COVID-19, and it’s caused many schools to reallocate funding to keep students protected. Ford is doing that right in their home town — or at least where their headquarters and major production facilities are — by making donations to the Girls in Engineering Academy in the city of Detroit, Michigan.
Consequences of the pandemic hit schools hard
In major cities like Detroit, the effects of the pandemic have hit especially hard. For many schools that were already facing overpopulation and lack of funding, moving online was the only option for keeping students socially distanced. While this seems like a valid response, it has proved problematic to students and families that lack the resources to thrive with online schoolings, such as lack of computers and lack of access to high-speed internet. To combat this, Ford is donating laptops to the Girls in Engineering Academy to help students receive the resources they need to succeed regardless of the obstacles.
“We’re proud to donate these laptops to the Girls in Engineering Academy and strengthen our commitment to STEM education, especially for underserved students throughout Detroit.”
Randy Strawsine, STEM lead, Ford Motor Company
Ford inspiring students in STEM
Representatives from Ford didn’t just ship off the laptops and call it a day but rather visited the school to reach out to the young students — while socially distancing and following COVID-19 protocols, of course. They brought along Digit, a slightly creepy but still very cool humanoid robot that the development team at Ford has been working on. The company is exploring and testing different ways to use Digit, but they brought the robot along to inspire students with the possibilities of a not-so-distant future: a future that they can be a part of creating and developing in a STEM career.
This laptop donation is just one of the many ways Ford has supported STEM education at the Girls in Engineering Academy over the past few years. Representatives of the brand say that they also intend to continue to support the program as well as many other STEM education programs across the country.
