The initiative, developed in an alliance between Toyota Puerto Rico and Ciencia Puerto Rico, invites public high schools to participate in an educational experience focused on innovation, programming, robotics, and engineering.
San Juan, PR- Toyota de Puerto Rico announced the call for applications for the second edition of the Toyota STEM Lab, an educational challenge developed in alliance with Ciencia Puerto Rico that seeks to inspire students from the public education system, from 9th to 12th grade, to develop skills in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The call will be open from September 1st to 15th; schools from the Puerto Rico Department of Education interested in participating must complete their registration through www.toyotapr.com/stem.
The Toyota STEM Lab offers a practical and challenging learning experience where students will have the opportunity to design, build, and program a smart vehicle, applying knowledge of robotics, computing, and engineering design to solve real-world challenges. Through this process, participants strengthen essential competencies such as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and innovation.
“At Toyota de Puerto Rico, we firmly believe that innovation begins with a bold idea. Through the Toyota STEM Lab, we seek to provide our youth with experiences that allow them to discover their potential, develop new skills, and envision themselves as the professionals and innovators who will lead the future of Puerto Rico. Investing in STEM education is investing in the development of our country,” said Dany Oliva, Vice President of Operations for Toyota de Puerto Rico.
For her part, Dr. Greetchen Díaz, Executive Director of Ciencia Puerto Rico, highlighted the impact of hands-on learning experiences on students' academic and professional development. “When young people have the opportunity to learn by doing, face real challenges, and work together to find solutions, they develop not only technical knowledge but also the confidence, creativity, and skills necessary to face the challenges of the future. The Toyota STEM Lab provides precisely that type of transformative experience that awakens vocations, strengthens local talent, and expands opportunities for our next generation of innovators.”
The initiative is part of Toyota de Puerto Rico's commitment to strengthening STEM education on the Island and creating opportunities that allow more students to explore careers related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The most recent edition of the Toyota STEM Lab brought together 14 public schools and more than 40 students from different regions of Puerto Rico, who for several months worked on the design and construction of scale vehicles using sustainable materials.
The projects were evaluated for their movement capability, load resistance, creativity, and design, culminating in a final competition where students presented and defended their proposals before a panel of professionals. Participants also had the opportunity to test their vehicles on circuits designed to face various performance and innovation challenges.
With this new edition, Toyota de Puerto Rico and Ciencia Puerto Rico will continue to promote spaces where students can explore new ways of learning, strengthen their STEM skills, and develop creative solutions to engineering challenges.
Schools interested in participating must complete their application between September 1st and 15th at www.toyotapr.com/stem.