Toyota’s goal: STEM for kids regardless of backgrounds

Part of building a diverse work force is developing young talent from varied socioeconomic backgrounds and exposing them to opportunities they otherwise would not have known.

Toyota Motor North America has dedicated $110 million to a campaign called Driving Possibilities, designed with a heightened focus on STEM education — science, technology, engineering and math — for children across the nation, including those in economically disadvantaged and underserved areas.

“We need to better prepare the work force of the future by providing a broader education and getting the next generation ready for high-growth careers,” said Ted Ogawa, CEO of Toyota Motor North America, when the program was announced in March. “In addition, addressing inequities that create barriers to success will help improve lives throughout the U.S.”

Toyota plans to roll out the program at eight sites, each within 60 miles of its factories and other facilities in Dallas; Georgetown, Ky.; Princeton, Ind.; Huntsville, Ala.; Blue Springs, Miss.; Chandler, Ariz.; Alpharetta, Ga.; and Ann Arbor, Mich.

One of Toyota’s goals is selecting schools and communities where the automaker has opportunities to improve achievement for all students, particularly those with diverse backgrounds — race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status — and proximity to its facilities and team members.

“We are going to be working with kids all the way from pre-K all the way through high school. So [it’s a ] very important initiative for us,” Tellis Bethel, chief social innovation officer at Toyota Motor North America, told Automotive News on the sidelines of the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers conference in Miami Beach, Fla., last month. “Not only are they future customers, not only may they be a future pipeline for talent into our company, but it’s the right thing to do … as a service within the community.”

The program started in 2021 with the new West Dallas STEM School, located about a half-hour south of Toyota’s North American headquarters in Plano, Texas. The school is a joint effort by Toyota, the Dallas Independent School District, Southern Methodist University and members of the West Dallas community. The first students enrolled were seventh and eighth graders, and this year it welcomed pre-K and first grade students. Each year a new grade will enter the school.

In the meantime, a former high school is being renovated to include collaborative open spaces, two STEM labs and a variety of student support programs. It will also include a community resource center that will provide broader services to the West Dallas community, Toyota said.

To address obstacles that impact learning, the West Dallas school has created a mobility service, partnered with food pantries and established a variety of programs, including those focused on reading and writing.

Toyota said it believes all kids deserve an equal opportunity to access rewarding careers in high-growth industries.

“The future of companies like ours depend on it,” the company said in an email to Automotive News. “When we look across the country, the data suggests many students still face barriers in accessing STEM education and careers.

“Areas of opportunity include making sure all students have access to consistent, industry-informed STEM programs across the entire educational continuum and removing the barriers outside of the educational system that impact a student’s ability to fully participate in education and career opportunities,” the automaker continued. “Examples include making sure all have access to food, transportation and other basic needs so they can fully participate in education and career opportunities. It’s also important to know that we recognize that many communities and schools are already implementing impactful programs, and together we can do more and improve innovation, coordination, and collaboration to support schools, students and families holistically.”