Durham District School Board High School Students First in Canada to
Experience Automaker’s New R.A.C.E. Program
WHITBY, ON, June 4, 2014 /CNW/ – Mazda pumped up high schoolers on Monday, June 2 with its highly
acclaimed North American educational outreach program presented to 600
Durham District School Board 10-12 graders at Sinclair Secondary
School. Designed to encourage high school students to consider studies
in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subject
areas, Mazda’s Racing Accelerates Creative Education (R.A.C.E.) program engaged Durham students from six different high
schools.
The engineering-based automotive manufacturer developed the R.A.C.E.
educational program to demonstrate the many real-world, exciting
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) applications
used throughout the automobile industry. The curriculum of this
turn-key, interactive learning forum was also designed to motivate and
engage the next generation of STEM superstars.
The company’s racing arm, Mazda Motorsports, is taking the lead with the
R.A.C.E. program, which has already been seen by nearly 4,500 students
in the U.S. The goal is to reach more than a dozen schools across
North America as the Motorsports team travels to events on the 2014
race circuit. This was the first time Mazda had brought its R.A.C.E.
program to Canada. As part of the curriculum, Mazda provided the
following teaching aids at the Sinclair Secondary School event:
-
Mazda’s TUDOR United Sports Car Championship SKYACTIV-D Clean Diesel
Prototype show car (identical in appearance to the actual racecar
that’ll compete at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, July 11-13). -
A powerful, fully illustrated presentation that shows the importance of
each one of the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and
mathematics and the role they play in motorsports and the auto
industry. -
Kyle Kimball, Mazda’s Manager of Motorsports and the company’s factory race car
driver/engineer Joel Miller provided real-life examples of what it takes to race at the highest
level of the sport.
“We are honored, and our students were thrilled, to have hosted this
first Canadian stop at the Durham District School Board,” said Martyn Beckett, Director of Education, Durham District School Board (DDSB). “Science,
technology, engineering and math initiatives provide opportunities for
students and staff to be creative, imaginative, and innovative. We
thank Mazda for providing DDSB schools with the R.A.C.E. program, which
drives home the message that there are many exciting and challenging
career paths available to them through the STEM disciplines. Giving
students the opportunity to see creative and innovative real-life
problem solving is a critical component of inspiring student success.”
John Doonan, Director, Mazda Motorsports, added, “We are convinced that our
R.A.C.E. program demonstrates in an interesting, fun and engaging way
how science, technology, engineering and mathematics are central to the
success of Mazda on the race track and in the marketplace. More
important, by showing them examples of how exciting problem solving can
be in the STEM arena, we believe we left many DDSB high school students
even more motivated to always be curious and open minded.”
Mazda is focusing on high school students for its R.A.C.E. program as
they are armed with enough learning to be able to explore the STEM
potential around them. Cars are the most technologically sophisticated
products owned by the average consumer and there are numerous
applications within the STEM arena. According to a new study by the
Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in Ann Arbor, MI, the integration
of technology into the motor vehicle is creating an unprecedented
demand for workers with high-tech skills, making this one of the most
exciting industries in which to be employed.
Additional participating schools included Ajax High School, Brock High
School, G.L. Roberts Collegiate and Vocational Institute, Durham
Continuing Education, and R.S. McLaughlin Collegiate and Vocational
Institute.
About the Durham District School Board
The Durham District School Board is responsible for public education in
the rural settings of Uxbridge, Brock and Scugog Townships and the
urban settings of Ajax, Whitby, Pickering and Oshawa. The Board
employs 7,000 teaching and educational service staff. With 128
elementary and secondary schools and learning centres, the Board
accommodates more than 65,000 regular day students and thousands more
who take advantage of a wide variety of continuing education and adult
credit courses. More information can be found on the Board’s website
at www.ddsb.ca and can be followed on Twitter @DurhamDSB.
About Mazda Canada Inc.
Mazda Canada Inc. is responsible for the sales and marketing, customer
service and parts support of Mazda vehicles in Canada. Headquartered in
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Mazda Canada has a nationwide network of 165
dealerships. For additional information visit Mazda Canada’s media
website at www.media.mazda.ca
SOURCE Mazda Canada Inc.
