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Toyota USA Foundation Awards $255,000 in New Grants

15 April 1999

Toyota USA Foundation Awards $255,000 in New Grants

    TORRANCE, Calif., April 14 -- Awards totaling $255,000 have
been announced by the Toyota USA Foundation Board of Directors.  Grant
recipients include the Mineral Information Institute, the Orange County Marine
Institute, PBS' Online Education Unit, the Desert Research Institute and the
Arizona Science Center.
    "Our board is very excited about these five new partnerships," said Yale
Gieszl, executive vice president, Toyota USA Foundation.  "Not only do the
programs set the tone for creative learning, but we're confident they will
help set high standards in math and science education, as well."
    The Mineral Information Institute, Denver, Colo., will use its
$25,000 grant to develop the fourth in a series of interdisciplinary Teacher
Helper Packets on the science of minerals for K-12 students.  Developed by a
cadre of scientists and educators, the packets assist teachers in explaining
the social and economic benefits of minerals and their applications as well as
how the can be produced in an environmentally sound manner.
    The Orange County Marine Institute, Dana Point, Calif., will apply a
$30,000 award toward the start-up of the Institute's new Department of
Technology.  The department will provide interactive life, earth and physical
science distance learning education programs centered on the ecosystem of tide
pools for grades K-12.  A key element of the program will be teacher training
in distance technology and its classroom applications.
    The Online Education Unit of the Public Broadcasting Service, Alexandria,
Va., will receive $50,000 to support Scienceline, an online professional
development service created in collaboration with the National Science
Teachers Association.  Scienceline enables teachers to visit the PBS website
to view video presentations of practicing teachers in real classrooms and to
participate in online discussion forums with science educators about
"inquiry-based" science teaching.
    The Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Las Vegas, Nev., will use a
$60,000 grant to expand its Science Box Traveling Kits program.  In the DRI
program, K-12 teachers develop science boxes and lesson plans based on a
content area from Nevada's State Science Education Framework for use by their
peers.  In addition to expanding the program to additional Nevada teachers,
funding will allow DRI to initiate an outreach program to surrounding states.
    A $90,000 award will be used by the Arizona Science Center, Phoenix,
Ariz., to support a district-wide, pilot science education collaboration
between the Center and the Wickenburg, Ariz., School District for K-8 grade
teachers.  The program will provide the tools necessary for the district to
meet state established standards through accelerated training that focuses on
teaching hands-on science through inquiry and investigation.
    The Toyota USA Foundation is a $30-million charitable endowment created
and funded by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.  It is dedicated to supporting
innovative educational programs, serving kindergarten though 12th grade in the
Untied States, with special emphasis on mathematics and science.
    To request an application and guidelines, contact the Toyota USA
Foundation at 19001 S. Western Ave., Torrance, Calif., 90509-2991, call
(310) 618-6766 or visit the Foundation web site:
http://www.toyota.com/foundation.