Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia Pledges $900,000 to Fund SAE Foundation's STEM Education Programming

WARRENDALE, Pa., Nov. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SAE Foundation announced today a $900,000 pledge from Kia Motors' U.S. assembly plant – Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) – impacting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in Georgia between 2012 and 2014.

KMMG's commitment to STEM and the community is strengthened by this partnership with SAE Foundation and the Troup County School System located in Georgia.  SAE Foundation will use these funds over the next three years to provide services to the school system through the implementation of SAE's K - 12 STEM Education Program, A World in Motion^© (AWIM).

"Our team members take great pride in Kia serving as a responsible and respected citizen in the local community, especially when it comes to youth education. This pledge to fund the AWIM program allows KMMG to uphold a philosophy we call the Kia Way, which says we will all work together to make today better than yesterday," said J. Randy Jackson, vice president of human resources and administration, KMMG. "SAE's proven reputation and the experience it has working with the automotive industry were key factors in forming this partnership."

AWIM is an award-winning program that brings science, technology, engineering and mathematics to life in the classroom. These programs help students to build a foundation for careers as engineers, scientists or technicians, to meet future workforce needs of companies like Kia Motors.

"By working together, Kia Motors and the SAE Foundation will address our national challenge to inspire young people and ignite their imaginations to regard math and science as potential career opportunities," said Matt Miller, director of the SAE Foundation. "KMMG now takes its place as a prominent and integral part of SAE's history as one of the largest corporate contributors since our foundation was formed more than 25 years ago."

KMMG is making one of its largest contributions to date with this project. The $900,000 pledge in services and materials over the next three years will be used for events, curriculum, training, student competitions and support. KMMG will also establish a student/chaperone fund for participation in SAE International competitions.

"We could not be more pleased that Kia has chosen to make such a tremendous investment into these critical subject areas by providing services to our schools," said Dr. Cole Pugh, superintendent of Troup County Schools. "We thank Kia for recognizing the value of education and for being such a great friend to the Troup County School System."

For more information about SAE Foundation & its AWIM programming: www.saefoundation.org & www.awim.org.

For more information about KMMG: www.kmmgusa.com.

About KMMG

Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) is the first manufacturing site in North America for Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, Korea. KMMG is located on 2,200 acres in West Point, Georgia, and began mass production on Nov. 16, 2009. KMMG is home to the 2013 Sorento CUV and the 2013 Optima mid-size sedan, two of the brand's top selling models. Beginning in 2012, the plant has the ability to build 360,000 vehicles annually from U.S. and globally-sourced parts.

About SAE Foundation

The SAE Foundation is the charitable arm of SAE International that strives to encourage and increase student participation and achievement in science, technology, engineering and math through educational programs, including A World In Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series™. SAE International is a global association of more than 133,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International's core competencies are life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development.

About AWIM

SAE International's A World In Motion® (AWIM) is a teacher-administered, industry volunteer-assisted program that brings science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to life in the classroom for students in kindergarten through grade 12. Benchmarked to the national standards, AWIM incorporates the laws of physics, motion, flight and electronics into age-appropriate hands on activities that reinforce classroom STEM curriculum.

CONTACT:
Corinne Hodges
Manager, Public Relations
Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc.
706-902-7637
[email protected]

CONTACT:
Matt Miller
Director, SAE Foundation
724-772-7504
[email protected]

SOURCE SAE International