Bridgestone Americas Inc. has pledged $30,000 in funding to Mind Drive, a non-profit educational program that uses the automobile and experiential learning techniques to teach at-risk high school students about math and science.
In addition to renewing its sponsorship, the company will provide hands-on volunteers who will give more than 250 hours of their time to support the program and its urban youth.
Bridgestone’s tire engineers serve as mentors for Mind Drive’s 40 automotive design studio students. The team lends its tire technology expertise to help Kansas City-area students design and build a highly sustainable all-electric vehicle for Mind Drive’s annual summer driving tour.
“We are proud to be aligned with Mind Drive in helping develop a next-generation, eco-conscious workforce through its hands-on educational experiences,” says Marty Yurjevich, executive director of advanced tire engineering and race tire development.
Bridgestone’s relationship with Mind Drive began in 2010, when the company began supplying the all-electric Mind Drive vehicle with its Ecopia line of tires. The company says Ecopia is its most fuel-efficient line of tires, engineered to save consumers money every time they drive. Bridgestone’s relationship with Mind Drive has expanded to include an engineer mentoring program and an annual sponsorship.
“Bridgestone has been a committed supporter of the Mind Drive program from the very beginning. From providing tires and engineering expertise, to mentoring and granting access to testing facilities, we owe much of our program’s success to Bridgestone,” says Linda Buchner, President of Mind Drive.