
A well-rounded education is essential in helping students unlock their fullest potential and land successful careers. However, in underserved and underfunded schools, kids are not able to enjoy such opportunities.
With its strong advocacy to help improve access to education, Mazda Foundation (USA) Inc. recently awarded a $150,000 grant to FUSE studios, a high-quality nationwide educational program developed through Northwestern University. The mission of FUSE is to transform science, technology, engineering, arts, and math learning in schools with the creation of new STEAM studios or STEM labs.
Jeff Guyton, president of Mazda North American Operations and chairman of Mazda Foundation (USA) Inc. shared that they are thrilled to play a role in giving young people access to experiences that may inspire them to become the next generation of scientists, engineers, and designers. Having access to STEAM programming helps level the playing field for students throughout their education, and careers.
The grant will support the Fall 2021 Launch of FUSE studios in 10 underserved elementary schools across three school districts in Orange County, and in the LA Unified School District.
When students take part in the FUSE programs, they will receive access to a diverse set of challenges and activities not found in a typical classroom setting. These are designed to ignite collaboration, creativity and discovery. More than acquiring knowledge, they will develop important life skills like persistence, problem-solving, and working together which will be transferred into their classroom environments and work—making communities around them better, and more promising.
Accolades of the FUSE team comes from Professor Reed Stevens who is the FUSE Founder and Principal Investigator. He praised the team saying they always put the student experience at the center of all work. "With Mazda Foundation’s generous support, we look forward to developing sustaining partnerships with each of our grant recipients.”
The Mazda Foundation and volunteers from Mazda North American Operations are not only providing financial support, they are working side-by-side with the FUSE Studios team in order to develop a new challenge for students to tackle as part of the program.
FUSE is only one of the grant recipients of the Mazda Foundation, as part of its 2021 funding cycle. The grants, with a total of $450,000, have been given out to address equitable access to education, and food insecurity.
Other organizations that received grants are the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Center which trains educators to close the opportunity gap so they can prepare students for careers and life; Food Bank of North Alabama in Huntsville, Alabama; and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County in Irvine, California which distributes food to more than 400 local member charities.