At the start of the New Year, our region puts its focus on the event that allows Detroit to shine in the world’s spotlight – the North American International Auto Show. This year, for the first time, our Foundation is providing one-of-a-kind access to the show for both the oldest and the youngest students that we support.
For the first time, the Auto Show’s Education Day – January 18th – will include Pre-Kindergarten classes. Students from the 14 classrooms at eight schools who are a part of the Foundation’s Grow Up Great Program, along with their parents and teachers, will learn about shapes, colors and basic science and auto education during a tour of the Auto Show floor at Cobo Center. The cars won’t be the only stars as Cookie Monster will also make an appearance.
The Grow Up Great program is made possible by the generous support of PNC Bank.
And for the second year in a row, the Foundation is pleased to send students from the Davis Aerospace High School for Education Day. This year, the Foundation is providing students with transportation and tickets to the Auto Show. These are the Detroit students who attend a school designed to prepare them for aerospace, aviation and engineering careers, with classes that include Computer Assisted Design (CAD) and robotics. Remarkably, every Davis High School students earns a pilot license upon graduation.
We share the hope of our donors that these students will be inspired by their visit to “The Show.” This could be the beginning of innovative careers, made possible by this special access. This is another example of the Foundation’s commitment to the future of our community through “STEM” (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education.