Ford Motor Co. Fund unveils educational initiative in PR
Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, addresses a group of high school students at the Condado Plaza Hotel Wednesday.
Ford Motor Company Fund announced Wednesday it will launch its signature program, Ford Driving Dreams Tour, for the first time in Puerto Rico.
The Ford Driving Dreams Tour is designed to provide educational resources and scholarships to motivate and help students graduate on time and pursue college. Ford Fund’s efforts in Puerto Rico are part of a long-term investment of $100,000 for educational resources.
“Ford is committed to helping communities bridge the gap between education and students who deserve a path to higher education because the lack of resources should never determine their academic success,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services.
Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, is working with ASPIRA Puerto Rico to launch the tour. The participating high schools include: Escuela Alternativa ASPIRA Aguada, Escuela Alternativa ASPIRA Mayagüez, Escuela Alternativa ASPIRA Carolina, and Escuela Francisco Oller Cataño. According to ASPIRA, students ages 14-17 are most at risk of dropping out of high school due to a combination of social and economic factors.
The Ford Driving Dreams Tour was launched in 2012 and program has reached more than 75,000 students in Chicago, Indiana, Florida, Texas, and last year expanded internationally to Panama. Ford Driving Dreams initiatives, including the Tour, have delivered more than $10 million in educational resources such as scholarships, college preparedness, tutoring programs, parental engagement, and motivational activities.
For the past six years, Ford Fund has invested more than $1.2 million in Puerto Rico. In addition to Ford Driving Dreams, Ford Fund educational programs include Ford Blue Oval Scholars, Ford Next Generation Learning, Ford College Community Challenge, and the Ford STEAM Lab. a
