Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia Brings AWIM STEM Program to Troup County Schools
Students from across the Troup County School System will come together to celebrate their success in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through SAE International’s award-winning A World In Motion® program Nov. 12-13 at West Georgia Technical College in LaGrange, Ga. Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) is sponsoring and hosting the event.
AWIM is a teacher-administered, industry volunteer-assisted program that brings science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to life in the classroom for students in Kindergarten through Grade 12. Benchmarked to the national standards, the AWIM program incorporates integrated STEM learning experiences through hands-on activities that reinforce classroom STEM learning.
108 Troup County School students will participate in the Motorized Toy Car (MTC) Challenge on Nov. 12; and 144 students will participate in the JetToy Challenge the following day. Students will build, design and test their vehicles during the challenges. KMMG team members will serve as judges for the challenges.
“We are extremely pleased to be working with Kia for this important initiative,” Chris Ciuca, Director of Pre-Professional Programs for SAE International, said. “And, we are thankful for their generous donation – both in terms of time and money – that made it possible.”
In 2012, KMMG announced a donation totaling $900,000 to the SAE Foundation to “continue impacting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in Troup County through 2014.”
“Our team members are excited to give back to the community and support this fantastic program that is having a big impact in Troup County Schools,” said Randy Jackson, KMMG’s senior vice president of human resources and administration. “As a learning organization, KMMG focuses on continuous improvement each day in our plant and in our community.
For information about the challenges at West Georgia Technical College, or to request media credentials, email pr@sae.org or call 1-724-772-8522.
About KMMG
Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) is the first manufacturing site in North America for Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, Korea. With an annual capacity of 360,000 units, KMMG is located on 2,200 acres in West Point, Georgia, and began mass production on Nov. 16, 2009. KMMG is home to the Sorento CUV and the Optima mid-size sedan, two of the brand’s top selling models in the U.S.
About SAE Foundation
The SAE Foundation is the charitable arm of SAE International that strives to encourage and increase student participation and achievement in science, technology, engineering and math through educational programs, including A World In Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series™. SAE International is a global association of more than 133,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International’s core competencies are life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development.
About AWIM
SAE International’s A World In Motion® (AWIM) is a teacher-administered, industry volunteer-assisted program that brings science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to life in the classroom for students in kindergarten through grade 12. Benchmarked to the national standards, AWIM incorporates the laws of physics, motion, flight and electronics into age-appropriate hands on activities that reinforce classroom STEM curriculum.