Toyota Awards $350,000 in Grants to K-12 Teachers Across America For Innovative Math Projects
Thirty-Five Teams of Teachers Receive 2003 Toyota TIME Program Grants in San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO, April 11 -- At a dinner in San Antonio on Thursday, April 10, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., in partnership with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), awarded 35 teacher grants of up to $10,000 each to help bring math to life in the classroom and lay the groundwork for a skilled and diverse future workforce.
There is no shortage of ideas from teachers for innovative math. With school budgets tight, more and more K-12th grade teachers across the country are looking to grant programs to help provide their students with unique learning experiences.
Through its TIME teacher grant program, Toyota is donating $350,000 to classroom projects that demonstrate creativity, involve risk-taking, possess a visionary quality, and model a novel way of presenting math. Since TIME and a similar program for science teachers began in the 1990s, Toyota has contributed $8 million in direct teacher grants and in doing so, has supported more than 800 schools nationwide, including several U.S. territories.
Some of the projects being funded include: "Unraveling the Code" (a mathematics project that will program robots and study force and motion); "On the Road with Math" (a New York math program using skills embedded in the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation auto technician certification); and "Fiesta de Aprendizaje de matematicas" (an after-school math program for Limited-English-Proficient students).
"Toyota puts a strong emphasis on innovation and education, both within the company and in our community outreach efforts," said Michael Rouse, TMS corporate manager of philanthropy and community affairs. "We believe it's not just a privilege, but a necessity, to support educators who are working hard to bring quality science and math to our children."
Toyota TIME
TIME is a two-year grant that awards 35 K-12 teachers up to $10,000 each, totaling $350,000, for innovative projects that enhance mathematics education within the schools. Toyota also sponsors a summer workshop for grant recipients. TIME is sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc, through its partnership with NCTM and its Mathematics Education Trust Board.
To date, 219 teams of teachers throughout the U.S. and its territories have shared more than $2.1 million in Toyota TIME grants. Toyota's total investment in the program is $4.7 million.
"Since TIME began in 1997, Toyota has demonstrated that it values mathematics education and shares NCTM's belief that education is the foundation for personal achievement and economic success. Programs like TIME have a tremendous impact on the quality of math education in our schools," said Johnny Lott, NCTM president.
About Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Established in 1957, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. is the sales, marketing, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota and Lexus in the U.S., marketing vehicles and services through 1402 dealers. TMS and its dealers directly employ more than 88,000 people in the U.S. Last year, 1.7 million vehicles were sold throughout the 49 continental states.
In 2002, Toyota USA contributed nearly $20 million to U.S. philanthropic programs, with 61 percent supporting education. Since 1991, overall donations reach nearly $196 million. The company's education-related efforts include teacher grant programs, scholarships, literacy initiatives through the National Center for Family Literacy, and technical training.
About National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has nearly 100,000 members and more than 240 Affiliates in the United States and Canada. It is the world's largest organization dedicated to improving mathematics education for all students from pre-K through grade 12. The Council's Principles and Standards for School Mathematics provides guidelines for excellence in mathematics education.
2003 Toyota TIME Grant Recipients Alabama Jacqueline Lampley Birmingham Scynda Fickert Opelika California Randy Cucco Chatsworth Perry Wiseman Redlands Monica Rook Visalia Colorado Katherine Young Mancos Connecticut Jill Bracksieck New Haven Florida Becky Bride Palm Harbor Illinois Susan Wotal Arlington Heights Carol Catlett Dekalb Indiana Amy Cole Tipton Kansas Jeff Smith Derby Nancy McDonnell Parker Maryland Joshua Merrill Pasadena Massachusetts Katherine Flaherty Leominster Nancy Silva Manomet Donna Cycz South Deerfield Mississippi Ronnie Shumaker Enterprise Montana Jane Micklus Missoula North Dakota Deanna Reynolds Minot New Jersey Aldona Skrypa Florham Park New York Colleen Lafountain Plattsburgh Ohio Sherri Malek Beachwood Barbara Bell Cincinnati Jennifer Costello Cincinnati Tom Reardon Poland Angie Anderson Sidney Pennsylvania Sharon Warnere Friedens Rhode Island Mary Nixon Barrington Ronald Patenaude Pawtucket South Carolina Amy Lowder Columbia Utah Diana Suddreth Dammeron Valley Virginia Donna Coe Fairfax Washington Carey Knifong Milton-Freewater West Virginia Susan Hvizdos Wheeling
