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Ford Wants Kids to Stay in School

Whether FoMoCo cares about education in the U.S. or they know that future drivers need money to buy their cars, one thing is sure: the maker of the most popular pick-up truck in the country is investing quite a lot of money and energy into the matter. And we can’t but tip our hats to that.
The Ford Driving Dreams Tour presented a motivational pep rally, essay contest, and scholarships to high school students in four San Jose public schools 1 photo
Photo: Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company Fund - the carmaker’s philanthropic arm, has recently kicked off the Ford Driving Dreams Tour in San Jose. The tour is slated to impact 5,000 Northern California students in schools with high Latino concentrations. The carmaker is trying to motivate secondary school students to complete their studies on time and pursue higher educations. For the first time in the U.S., the program will also engage middle school students.

The Ford Driving Dreams Tour presented a motivational pep rally, essay contest, and scholarships to high school students in four San Jose public schools. It is part of a long-term Northern California community investment launched by Ford and its dealers in June.

The message is simple: completing school improves kids’ chances of later success. And to make it more interesting, Ford commissioned former NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez and nationally recognized empowerment speaker Roy Juarez, Jr. The two have kicked off the program at a pep rally at Yerba Buena High School. According to Ford, motivational rallies at Andrew Hill High School, James Lick High School, and William C. Overfelt High School will follow.

All the institutions mentioned above are part of the East Side Union High School District. The California Tour, which is run in partnership with the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI), will impact 4,000 high school students and 1,000 middle school students.

“I first got my dream as I hoed a row of sugar beets in a California field with my parents,” said former NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez. “It took 12 tries to achieve my dream of becoming an astronaut. I am proof that with a good education, solid work ethic, and the right resources, any student’s dream - a dream that others may turn down the first 11 times - becomes a goal that can be fulfilled.”

The power of example is regularly the best way to encourage others to work hard and we say all carmakers should take Ford's example.
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