North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T) and Toyota are doing their part to ensure that African Americans are more involved in science, math, and the arts. Toyota has donated $1 million to N.C. A&T and Communities in Schools of Randolph County. The HBCU plans to use their half of the grant money to extend its science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) department.
To advance the K-12 program, a new Toyota STEAM laboratory will be developed by the College of Education (CEd) at N.C. A&T. This improvement will allow space to practice teaching with devices and technologies for elementary and secondary education majors.
In addition, the grant will broaden student education, strengthen workforce preparation, and provide further opportunities for STEAM education in North Carolina.
Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. announced his gratitude stating, “We are grateful that our friends at Toyota understand that the key to meeting the challenges of the STEAM workforce of the future is to invest in rich STEAM educational opportunities for students today.”
He added, “This announcement is great news for the students and faculty of our Aggie Academy lab school, STEM Early College, and the A&T Four Middle College. It is also a further illustration of what a great corporate citizen Toyota has become in the state of North Carolina. We deeply appreciate their leadership.”
Joint mentorship opportunities and ventures between A&T students from all majors and other campuses will also be available as a result of this grant.
“Having the Toyota STEAM Laboratory space designed for K-12 learners in our College of Education will greatly strengthen our abilities to enact Practice-Based Teacher Education at both the Elementary and Secondary Education levels for our Educator Preparation students,” shared CEd Dean Paula Price, Ph.D. “We also look forward to inviting other K-12 students, including those from Randolph County, into the space in the near future as our partnerships grow. This is an exciting time for the College of Education.”
