MotorCities-Automobile National Heritage Area Launches The Stephen P. Yokich Auto and Labor Education Program

DETROIT, Sept. 19 -- MotorCities-Automobile National Heritage Area (MotorCities-ANHA) today announces the Stephen P. Yokich Auto and Labor Education Program, with the hope that one day, every school child in Michigan will know and be proud of their rich auto and labor heritage. Named in honor of the late Stephen P. Yokich, former President of the United Automobile Workers (UAW), this program embraces Mr. Yokich's dedication and commitment to the needs and aspirations of working men and women to provide a better quality of life for their families and communities. Generously funded by the UAW Joint Funds of DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor and General Motors, the program will focus on place-based and intergenerational learning for grades K-12, and include personal histories, curriculum development and a wide variety of educational and interpretive tools.

In celebration of the education launch and our region's vital role in auto and labor heritage, we are pleased to invite the educational community throughout our 12 Stewardship Communities to participate in the "MotorCities Memories" Personal History Project which will document the powerful and moving histories of people throughout the National Heritage Area who have helped to shape our auto and labor stories. The stories will focus on the following MotorCities-ANHA themes: Industry of the Century, Communities of the Automobile Region, Torque and Tension, Auto Inspiration and America On Wheels.

A special MotorCities-ANHA Art Contest will engage school children in grades 3-12 within the Stewardship Communities. The goals of this contest are to promote awareness of our region's role in the auto and labor industries, give students an historical perspective and opportunity to use knowledge of the past in producing an artistic piece of work, and to give students an understanding and appreciation of how the auto industry impacted our environment and the way we live, work and play.

Art Contest winners within each of the 12 Stewardship Communities will receive a digital video camera to help them record auto and labor related histories within their communities. Other prizes include an educational CD ROM and a $100 savings bond in the winning schools' names.

Pamela Rhoades Todd, Education Programs Manager at MotorCities-ANHA stated, "We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to engage families and children within our region in intergenerational learning about our auto and labor heritage. It is our hope that one day, every school child in Michigan will know and be proud of their rich auto and labor heritage."

The official Stephen P. Yokich Auto and Labor Education Program Launch was held at the Walter P. Reuther Library on Thursday, September 19, 2002 at 10:00 a.m.

About MotorCities-Automobile National Heritage Area

MotorCities-ANHA is dedicated to preserving, interpreting and promoting Southeastern and Central Michigan's rich automotive and labor heritage. Designated by U.S. Congress in 1998 as an affiliate of the National Park Service, MotorCities-ANHA helps citizens appreciate how the automobile changed Michigan, the nation and the world. MotorCities-ANHA strives to make Michigan's rich automotive heritage a source of pride for communities and a positive influence on the region's future. The MotorCities-ANHA regional boundary encompasses almost 10,000 square miles, portions of 13 counties and approximately six million residents in Southeastern and Central Michigan. For additional information, please visit MotorCities-ANHA Web site at www.autoheritage.org .