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Ford Awards $50,000 in Grants to Winners of STEAM High School Community Challenge

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Ford STEAM Commitment to Education

Ford Motor Company has announced the six student teams that will receive a share of $50,000 in grants as part of the 2018 Ford STEAM High School Community Challenge. The teams represent six different high school career academies from across the United States, and the winning proposals focus on addressing needs in their respective communities through means including alternative energy, technology, design, and mobility.

“Students can be an inspired, powerful force for good that can change their communities for the better and ultimately change the world,” said Mike Schmidt, director, Education and Global Community Development, Ford Fund. “We want to create more opportunities for them to use their imaginations and energy to meet challenges and have a positive impact on more people.”


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The top prize-earning school is Spruce Creek High School of Port Orange, Florida, whose team from the Academy of Information Technology and Robotics proposed an app called The Text of Least Resistance. This app will provide individuals caught in disaster areas with the ability to communicate with family, friends, and emergency responders. For their proposal, the team earned $20,000 in grants.

Winning the second-place prize of $10,000 in grants is the Utica Center of Science and Industry from Sterling Heights, Michigan. Their Project: Powerhouse will generate electricity for the school through centripetal force created by gym equipment.

Four teams tied for the third-place runner-up prize, with each earning $5,000 in grants:

  • Newton College and Career Academy (Covington, Georgia)
  • Harlingen South High School (Rio Grande Valley, Tax)
  • Digital Arts and Technology Academy (Cathedral City and Palm Desert, California)
  • Clearwater High School (Pinellas County, Florida)

More information about this year’s winning projects can be found at www.fordblueovalnetwork.org/ford-ngl-steam-community-challenge.


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