TOYOTA USA Grant and NDPN Grant in Kentucky

“Two Franklin County schools will share in a $1.5 million grant from the National Dropout Prevention Network to increase student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and manufacturing (STEAM) careers, Superintendent Chrissy Jones reported late Wednesday.”

Kentucky Career Education to Receive Grant from Toyota USA Foundation

Clemson, S.C. (January 26, 2016) – Kentucky is one of three states that will share a $1.5 million grant recently awarded to the National Dropout Prevention Network to increase student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and manufacturing careers. The three-year-long project is designed to engage students underrepresented in STEM and manufacturing, with a long-term goal of higher graduation rates and a more educated, skilled, diverse and motivated workforce.

Kentucky students are among thousands of students in three states that were selected for the program, which also includes schools in urban New York City and rural Mississippi. Three organizations—The National Dropout Prevention Network, WIN Learning, and LightSwitch Learning—are partnering with the Toyota USA Foundation to implement the project.

“One of the National Dropout Prevention Network’s goals for the project is ensuring that every student graduates high school and is ready for college and career, and this program fits perfectly into that goal. We greatly appreciate Toyota USA Foundation’s commitment to providing career and educational opportunities to Kentucky students,” said Dr. Sandy Addis, National Dropout Prevention Center/Network Director.

The schools will use an online, Web-based career exploration and discovery of pathways system that will develop students’ college and career readiness skills and will assist them in obtaining certificates. Content, aligned with the 16 nationally recognized career clusters and other standards, will focus on manufacturing-related careers and STEM.

The program responds to a national crisis of under-skilled workers and mismatched skills between workers and 21st century workplaces. Strategies to increase graduation rates will also be a focus of the project.

“The Toyota USA Foundation is proud to support the National Dropout Prevention Network’s work to help students discover and explore their interests in manufacturing and STEM fields. By helping students cultivate these 21st century skills, we can help set them up for success in college and careers as well as strengthen the American manufacturing field overall.” said Michael Rouse, Toyota USA Foundation President.

Student participants will benefit from skills development, nationally recognized credentials and development of career plans. Teachers also will be trained to better understand real-world applications of what they teach, to serve as career mentors, to use educational technology, and to continue in those roles after the project period.

The project’s goal is to improve the graduation rates of participating schools by introducing middle school and freshman and sophomore high school students to the world of STEM and manufacturing, using online resources that can be used with existing individual graduation plans.

The following Kentucky schools have been selected for the Toyota grant project:

  • Bryan Station High School in the Fayette County School District
  • Scott County High School in the Scott County School District
  • Cardinal Academy in the Scott County School District
  • Scott County 9th Grade School in the Scott County School District
  • Franklin County High School in the Franklin County School District
  • The Academy in the Franklin County School District

 

About the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N)

Established in 1986 with a mission to reduce dropout rates, the NDPC/N shares solutions for student success and dropout prevention through its clearinghouse function, active research and evaluation projects, publications, and a variety of professional development activities and conferences. The organization’s website—www.dropoutprevention.org—is the nation’s leading resource in providing effective, research-based solutions to engaging students and reducing dropout. The NDPC/N is housed in the Eugene T. Moore School of Education at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina.

 

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For Additional Information Contact:

Lynn Dunlap
Public Information Director
National Dropout Prevention Center/Network
Phone: 864-656-2678
Email: ldunlap@clemson.edu

Toyota USA Foundation Awards Grant to National Dropout Prevention Network for Three-State Career Readiness Program

ToyotaLogo345x140

Toyota USA Foundation Awards Grant to National Dropout Prevention Network
for Three-State Career Readiness Program

 Multiyear Initiative Aims to Decrease Dropout Rates and Provide 21st Century Workforce Readiness Skills to 24,000 High School Students in New York, Kentucky, and Mississippi

 Clemson, SC—(September 3, 2015)—The Toyota USA Foundation announced a three-year, $1.5 million grant for the National Dropout Prevention Network (NDPN) to support high school students interested in pursuing career-focused education in the midst of the country’s growing need for more skilled workers in the manufacturing industry. The Career-Ready System for High School Students will target up to 24,000 high school students in New York, Kentucky, and Mississippi.

“Toyota is invested in paving pathways for student to careers in manufacturing to strengthen our nation’s workforce and economy,” said Michael Rouse, Toyota USA Foundation President. “We’re pleased to support the National Dropout Prevention Network in this important initiative to keep students in school and encourage education around STEM subjects.”

NDPN was one of eight nonprofits to receive grants from the Toyota USA Foundation for the Summer 2015 funding round, which provided a total of $5.8 million in grants to support the teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Toyota USA Foundation grants ranged from $100,000 to $1.5 million, with NDPN being one of two organizations receiving the highest grant amounts.

Partnering with NDPN on the project is WIN Learning, a Kingston, TN, company that provides career readiness solutions to help students prepare for their futures, whether they’re bound for college, trade school, a military career, or the workplace. The grant will provide career and college readiness software and professional development training in selected school districts in the aforementioned states.

The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N) was established in 1986 with a mission to increase graduation rates through research and evidence-based solutions. The organization is based on the Clemson University campus in Clemson, SC. Its resources, including the 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention, are utilized by many state agencies and school districts across America.

The Toyota USA Foundation’s funding of the Career-Ready System for High School Students program recognizes today’s new model for career-focused education, which integrates academic and work-based learning with career exploration, guidance, and relevant experiences that prepare students for the new economy. School districts across the country are embracing this model, and tailoring it to meet the needs of their districts, all with the goal that career-focused students graduate with the skills and knowledge to transition toward their desired careers.

“Research has shown that integrated school-career programs like this one, along with the proper guidance and support systems, have a positive impact on keeping students engaged and in school through graduation,” said Sandy Addis, director of the NDPC/N.  “We are tremendously pleased that the Toyota USA Foundation shares our mission to decrease dropout rates and to ensure that students are prepared in the specific, core, and soft skills they will need in order to succeed in the careers they want to pursue.  This project is consistent with the goals of both NDPC/N and Clemson University to improve graduation rates through innovation and service.”

The Career-Ready System for High School Students will launch in selected school districts in the three states in the fall, focusing on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and other skills needed to excel in industry. The project goals will be supported by WIN’s interactive software program and apps that will enable students to explore careers of interest to them while earning credentials aligned with industry standards.

About the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N)

Established in 1986, the NDPC/N shares solutions for school dropout prevention through its clearinghouse function, active research and evaluation projects, publications, and a variety of professional development activities and conferences. Our Web site—www.dropoutprevention.org—is the nation’s leading resource in providing effective, research-based solutions for reducing dropout and increasing high school graduation rates. The NDPC/N is housed in the Eugene T. Moore School of Education at Clemson University in Clemson, SC.

 

-ndpc/n-

Contacts for Media:

Lynn Dunlap
Public Information Director
National Dropout Prevention Center/Network
Phone: 864-656-2678
Email: ldunlap@clemson.edu


Related Content
FCHS, The Academy to receive grant | The State Journal | January 28, 2016

Kentucky Career Education to Receive Grant from Toyota USA Foundation | NDPC/N | January 26, 2016

Toyota USA Foundation awards $1.5M to National Dropout Prevention Network career-readiness program | Story from: The Clemson Newsstand | September 3, 2015

Toyota USA Foundation funds STEM education initative | Story and video from: WTVA | September 2, 2015

Mississippi High Schools Participate in STEM Career Program | Jackson Free Press  | October 27, 2015

Toyota USA Foundation Awards Mississippi Career Education Grant | Mississippi Department of Education | October 26, 2015

Toyota USA Foundation Awards Mississippi Career Education Grant | New Albany Schools News & Resources | October 28, 2015

Toyota USA Foundation Awards Mississippi Career Education Grant | New Albany Gazette | October 30, 2015

Learning to Work | Automotive Design & Production | September 4, 2015

Not as Odd as it Looks: The Japanese Carmaker Giving to Boost U.S. Manufacturing | Inside Philanthropy | September 10, 2015

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