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Ford Motor Company Gives $12 Million to Four Detroit Educational Institutions

6 January 2000

Ford Motor Company Gives $12 Million to Four Detroit Educational Institutions

    DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 6 -- Ford Motor Company
Chairman William Clay Ford Jr., and Chief Executive Officer and President Jac
Nasser announced today the company's plan to donate more than $12 million to
four Detroit organizations.  Ford Motor Company's investment in Detroit
Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Zoo, Detroit Science Center and Henry Ford
Academy, supports novel education programs where children of diverse
backgrounds can come together, share learning experiences and further develop
their potential.
    Taking the lead in corporate citizenship, Ford Motor Company Fund worked
with each organization to develop unique educational programs for the youth of
Detroit.
    "Ford Motor Company is firmly committed to supporting our children through
innovative educational programs," said William Clay Ford, Jr.  "As we stand on
the threshold of a new century, we are pleased to work with the city of
Detroit, and the fine institutions represented here today to provide the
children of our community with resources to build better lives."
    The Detroit Science Center was awarded $1.5 million to support educational
initiatives for the new Ford Learning Resource Center.  The Ford Learning
Resource Center will include Discovery Laboratories that will provide a
focused learning environment, scientific equipment for hands-on activities and
expanded programming for more than 100,000 children attending school trips and
after-school activities.
    "At Ford Motor Company, we invest a lot in science and technology," said
Nasser.  "By providing our children with state-of-the-art resources to learn
about science, the environment and conservation; and the cultural arts -- we
are making an investment in our community that will provide unyielding results
for years to come."
    The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) received $5 million to support the
Ford-Detroit Symphony Educational Partnership.  This partnership between the
DSO and the Detroit High School of Performing Arts (DSA) is a unique
educational collaboration, to be expanded with the construction of a new
state-of-the-art school located on the Orchestra Place campus.  DSA, part of
the Detroit Public Schools system with a special focus on academics and the
arts, will combine forces with the DSO to provide specialized and hands-on
arts education.  The partnership will encompass activities such as private
lessons, classroom instruction and lecture demonstrations by DSO musicians;
master classes with visiting guest artists; career counseling; and performance
opportunities with the DSO at Orchestra Hall and at DSA.
    The Detroit Zoological Society was awarded $5 million for a new
educational facility, the Ford Environmental & Conservation Education Center.
The Detroit Zoological Institute is a living classroom, and this new center
will allow educators to bring their lessons to life to a broader audience.
Through interactive learning, live exhibits, and resource labs, the Ford
Environmental & Conservation Education Center will provide the community with
outstanding educational experiences that lead to the appreciation and
stewardship of nature.
    "Our children are the future of our community and it is our responsibility
to provide them with the tools necessary to lead healthy, productive lives,"
said Mayor Dennis W. Archer.  "The partnership created by Ford Motor Company
and these four organizations will provide unique opportunities to foster
learning and encourage growth in our children's development."
    The Henry Ford Academy, a public charter high school created by Ford Motor
Company in partnership with Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, received
$1.2 million for operating support and development of new programs.  Since its
inception in 1997, the Henry Ford Academy has achieved student attendance and
retention rates that are among the highest in the state.  Students represent
23 communities in Wayne County, making it one of the most diverse schools in
the county.  With the additional support from Ford Motor Company, new programs
will be developed to infuse the use of technology, principles of performance-
based and project-based learning, and other innovative models of teaching.
    "Education comes from all aspects of society," said Mike Flanagan, Wayne
County Superintendent, RESA.  "These programs, developed in collaboration with
Ford Motor Company, send a strong message that corporate America takes
seriously the education of our children."