Toyota USA Foundation announced grants of up to $9.3 million to prepare Chandler Unified School District and Tempe Elementary School District students for future STEM careers. 

The collaboration is part of the Driving Possibilities initiative and is a five-year phased rollout of programming in select schools, a press release explained.

Chandler and Tempe area schools are the sixth sites to launch Driving Possibilities programming, which is based on more than 60 years of active support in Toyota communities across the U.S. and builds off the successful model in West Dallas.

“Our goal is to increase awareness of future STEM careers while helping build sustainable programs in the communities where our Toyota team members live and work,” Tellis Bethel, group vice president of social innovation at Toyota, stated in the release. 

Bethel stated that with almost $2 million in the first year and more expected to come in future years, the group is looking forward to expanding Driving Possibilities in the Phoenix metro. 

"The Driving Possibilities grant will see CUSD, along with community partners, provide greater access to hands-on STEM programs that teach 21st-century skills, after-school enrichment and on-campus academic support at the schools awarded these grants,” Chandler Unified Superintendent Frank Narducci stated in the release. 

Driving Possibilities focuses on Pre-K to 12 education and builds on existing programs nationwide, aiming to close educational gaps for students through innovative, hands-on STEM programming while addressing the essential needs of students and families, the release detailed.

"Thanks to the Toyota USA Foundation, we are able to introduce Tempe Elementary students to the boundless opportunities of a career in STEM and work together in our shared mission to improve access to critical support services for students and their families," Tempe Elementary Superintendent Dr. James Driscoll stated in the release. 

This announcement supports a STEM Curriculum Pathway for elementary and middle school students. The grants will also help build community resource centers to house after-school and essential services to help provide for students and their families.

The Toyota USA Foundation announced Driving Possibilities in 2022 as a national, career readiness and community engagement initiative that was launched to prepare youth for the careers of tomorrow. 

“It is a unique approach that brings together educators, local and national nonprofits, and communities to create limitless possibilities for all,” the release stated.

The program is also the largest and most comprehensive in Toyota’s history, and it is funded by the Toyota USA Foundation, Toyota Motor North America and Toyota Financial Services.