-
Ford and Ford Motor Company Fund kick off the Ford Driving Dreams Tour
in Panama after four successful years in the U.S. promoting on-time
high school graduation
-
Ford delivers more than $50,000 in educational resources and works
with United Way Panama and Panama’s Ministry of Education to meet the
needs of Panamanian youth at risk of dropping out
-
Ford Driving Dreams’ first-ever international kick-off is part of
Ford’s Operation Better World, a strategic global philanthropic effort
which supports the company’s reach
Company Website:
http://corporate.ford.com/
PANAMA CITY, Panama -- (Business Wire)
Ford Motor Company Fund is expanding its innovative Ford Driving Dreams
educational tour for the first time to an international market with a
program in Panama that will help more than 300 young teens learn skills
to keep them in school.
Ford and Ford Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company,
launched the Ford Driving Dreams Tour in Panama today. The tour is an
education initiative that will deliver more than $50,000 in motivational
activities, school grants and scholarships designed to prevent students
from dropping out of school. Ford is collaborating on the tour with
United Way Panama and the Ministry of Education of Panama.
“For more than 100 years Ford Motor Company has worked to make a better
world for the communities where we do business,” said Jim Vella,
president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “The vitality
and growth of every nation depends in great part on educating our young
people, and we are excited to bring our innovative program for helping
kids stay in school to Panama.”
The Ford Driving Dreams Tour in Panama will focus on middle school
students ages 13-15. According to the University of Panama’s Research
Center, this is the population at most risk of dropping out of school
due to a combination of social and economic factors, such as the lack of
resources for school supplies, meals and transportation, among others.
More than 300 students from 19 public schools located in some of the
most vulnerable communities in and near the capital such as San
Miguelito, and the nearby provinces of West Panama and Colon were
selected by Panama’s Ministry of Education to participate in the
program. While these students are in good academic standing and have
untapped potential, they are vulnerable due to socio-economic factors
and at risk of dropping out of school. Each of the 19 participating
schools will receive a $2,000 grant to support needed resources that
will improve the learning environment for their students.
“We are very pleased that Ford selected Panama as the first
international market to launch the Ford Driving Dreams Tour,” said
Carlos Staff, vice minister of education of Panama. “This will be a
transformative experience for our students and we commend Ford for their
global corporate citizenship and the impact they will make in Panama
with this initiative.”
As part of the program, students experienced a full day of high-energy
motivational and goal-setting activities led by professional
subject-matter experts. They also heard life-changing testimonies from
motivational speakers, such as former Boxing World Champion Chemito
Moreno and athlete César Barría who is the first Latin-American and
Central-American with a disability to swim across the Strait of
Gibraltar. Students were inspired and motivated to lead a positive life,
define their dreams and acquire the skills to achieve them.
“Following our ‘Go Further’ philosophy, Ford Motor Company is pleased to
support Ford Driving Dreams, a program that motivates and inspires
students so they can become the leaders of future generations. By
supporting this program, we reiterate our commitment to the Panamanian
community,” said Pablo Haase, managing director Ford Motor Company,
Caribbean and Central America.
The Ford Driving Dreams Tour will also deliver $10,500 in scholarships
through the “What Drives Your Dreams?” essay contest. The contest
reinforces the importance of education while pursuing a dream and giving
back to the community. The scholarships will help students and their
families defray the costs of school supplies, books, transportation,
meals and other basic needs that often keep students from finishing the
school year and moving on to the next grade level. The scholarships will
be administered by United Way Panama.
“United Way has a longstanding legacy of partnering with Ford to fulfill
important community needs,” said Mercedes Eleta de Brenes, chair of
United Way Panama. “We are excited to expand our partnership and build
on this legacy to deliver much needed educational resources to our young
people in Panama.”
The Ford Driving Dreams Tour was designed by Ford Motor Company Fund,
the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, to help Latino youth
graduate on time and pursue higher education. Launched in 2012, the
program has reached more than 30,000 students in Chicago, Indiana,
Florida and Texas. Ford Driving Dreams initiatives, including the Tour,
have delivered more than $1,500,000 in educational resources such as
scholarships, college preparedness, tutoring programs, parental
engagement, and motivational activities. In addition to Panama, the tour
will be implemented in Northern California in 2015.
Ford Driving Dreams work in Panama is part of Ford’s Operation Better
World, a strategic global philanthropic effort that supports the
company’s expansion. In addition to Ford Driving Dreams, Ford supports
environmental initiatives in Panama. This brings Ford’s community
investment in Central America to nearly $900,000 since the company
started awarding its environmental grants in 2001. By working
collaboratively with dealers and other groups, Ford Fund drives
sustainable community innovation through local investments. Ford Fund
now supports Operation Better World programs in more than 30 countries.
About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with community
and global partners to advance driving safety, education and community
life. Ford Motor Company Fund has operated for more than 65 years with
ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. Ford Driving Skills for Life is
free, interactive, hands-on safety training focused on skill development
and driving techniques, while addressing inexperience, distractions and
impaired driving.Innovation in education is encouraged through
Ford Blue Oval Scholars, Ford Next Generation Learning and other
inspiring programs that enhance high school learning and provide college
scholarships and university grants. The Ford Volunteer Corps enlists
more than 30,000 Ford employees and retirees each year to work on local
projects that strengthen their communities and improve people’s lives in
more than 40 countries around the world. For more information, visit http://community.ford.com.
For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and
video, visit www.media.ford.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150723005910/en/
Contacts:
Ford
Lorraine Urdaz
787-238-0191
lurdaz@ford.com
or
Comunicad
for Ford
Jossie Sapunar
703-807-0500
js@comunicad.com
Source: Ford Motor Company
© 2024 Canjex Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.