Toyota Makes Donation To Support New UC Program To Prepare New Teachers

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, North America (TMMNA) and the University of Cincinnati (UC) announced today that TMMNA will make a $500,000 donation to UC for a new initiative to recruit and retain African American teachers in urban schools. The African American Initiative for Math/Science (AAIMS) will bring 25 African American math and science education students to UC tuition-free to complete a program designed to prepare them for teaching in an urban school environment. In turn, those future teachers will make a commitment to teach in an inner-city school for at least five years after graduation.

National figures suggest 50 percent of all new teachers in urban schools leave the profession within the first five years of teaching. “Research on attracting and retaining qualified African America teachers in urban schools suggests teachers who come from similar socio-economic backgrounds as their students are more likely to stay in the teaching profession,” says Dr. Lawrence J. Johnson, dean of the College Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) at UC.  “And, these teachers are also more likely to continue teaching in the inner city,” he added.

The African American Initiative for Math/Science (AAIMS) is a model five-year program that will provide full tuition through graduation for 25 qualifying UC students entering CECH this fall. UC will also support housing for the student’s first year in the program.

“This gift from Toyota allows us to get this program on its feet, getting these students moving forward in their educational quest for math and science degrees,” said Dr. Nancy Zimpher, UC president. “Toyota’s commitment is providing the initial funding that will give us the opportunity to reach out to other contributors for additional support.”

“At Toyota, two things are very important to us – education and partnerships,” said Mr. Atsushi (Art) Niimi, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, North America. “We believe in building partnerships and we support numerous education programs in the Greater Cincinnati area. This gift to UC fits both categories. Through this partnership, we will help address a growing education need in our own community, as well as other communities.”

“When we learned of the serious problem of retaining math and science teachers in urban schools and heard about the program UC had developed to help address this problem, we were anxious to assist in getting this program going,” added Mr. Niimi. “It is a significant program because it will provide consistency for the students – and for the teachers who understand the challenges the students face.”

Ninety-five students from urban schools in Cincinnati, Covington, Dayton, Columbus and Cleveland applied for consideration for the African American Initiative for Math/Science (AAIMS). Interviews are still underway with some of the 35 possible candidates selected from the applicants.

Upon graduation, the students may select any urban school system across the country to begin their careers.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, North America, located in Erlanger, Kentucky, is the headquarters for Toyota’s growing North American manufacturing operations. Toyota now has 13 manufacturing operations in North America and by 2006 will have the capacity to build 1.66 million cars and trucks and 1.29 million engines annually in North America. The company’s direct investment is more than $16.7 billion. Toyota’s North American-produced vehicles include the Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Matrix, Sienna, Solara, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra, and the Lexus RX 330.

The University of Cincinnati is a public, comprehensive system of learning and research. The university’s faculty have distinguished themselves worldwide for their creative teaching and research especially in problem-solving and the application of their discoveries. The University serves a diverse student body with a broad range of interests and goals. In 2003, UC and its affiliates earned more than $309 million in grants and contracts. The National Science Foundation places UC 46th in the U.S. in its rankings of research and development expenditures. The University of Cincinnati traces its origins to 1819, the year in which the Cincinnati College and the Medical College of Ohio were first organized.

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