Toyota USA Foundation Announces $695,965 in Awards For Math and Science Initiatives

NEW YORK, May 29, 2003 -- The Toyota USA Foundation announced today that it is awarding $695,965 in grants to four universities to support initiatives designed to enhance the teaching of K-12 math and science.

Recipients of the awards are the University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida; the University of Denver, Denver, Colorado; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico; and the University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Arkansas.

"We're pleased to announce this new partnership with these institutions of higher learning," said Atsushi "Art" Niimi, president, Toyota USA Foundation. "Each of these schools has developed important, innovative teaching and learning opportunities for K-12 math and science."

The University of Central Florida will receive $270,000 to initiate "The Transition to Mathematics and Science Teaching Program." This innovative alternative teacher certification initiative, designed to help alleviate the critical shortage of qualified and certified middle school math and science teachers, is a fast track education program that will allow participants to earn either a Masters of Arts in Math or Science degree and become certified in one year.

The University of Denver will receive $240,000 over three years to support the expansion of its successful "Making of an Engineer" summer program, for high school students. Beginning this year, a science element will be added to the three-week summer program providing the opportunity for an additional 48 freshman, sophomore and junior students from high schools throughout United States and Puerto Rico to enroll in the university, participate in a rigorous academic science schedule and earn college credits during their stay on campus.

Funding of $100,000 over two years will allow New Mexico State University to expand the Southern New Mexico Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA), an eight-week after school and one-week summer program that combines school-based math and science curriculum, university enrichment activities and parental involvement to include 9th-12th grade students.

A grant of $85,965 over three years will enable the University of Central Arkansas to conduct a multi-level electron microscopy outreach program. Kindergarten through 12th grade teachers and students will have the opportunity to integrate the use of state-of-the-art scientific research equipment, in this instance a scanning electron microscope, into their math and science curriculum.

The Toyota USA Foundation is a charitable endowment created to support innovative education programs serving kindergarten through 12th grade in the United States, with special emphasis on mathematics and science. In the past year it provided over $2,050,000 in grants in support of such initiatives.

For additional information about the Toyota USA Foundation, visit www.toyota.com/foundation or Toyota's journalist website at pressroom.toyota.com.