SOUTH FLORIDA SCIENCE MUSEUM NAMED FINALIST IN TOYOTA 100 CARS FOR GOOD PROGRAM
Toyota to Donate Vehicle to Local Nonprofit Organizations Based on Public Votes
[WEST PALM BEACH, FL] – [May 11, 2011] – West Palm Beach-based organization, South Florida Science Museum is one of 500 finalists in Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program, which will award vehicles to 100 nonprofit organizations based on votes from the public beginning May 9, 2011.
Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program will showcase five non-profit organizations each day for 100 days on Toyota’s Facebook page, facebook.com/toyota. Visitors to the page can vote once a day for the organization that they feel is most deserving of a new Toyota vehicle. The South Florida Science Museum will be one of the five organizations highlighted for voting on May 20, 2011.
Local residents are encouraged to support the South Florida Science Museum and their quest for a new Toyota Highlander Hybrid. If the South Florida Science Museum receives the most votes of the five competing organizations on May 20 and is awarded the vehicle, it will be used to reach more than 45,000 school children as part of the Museum’s award-winning Educational Programs and outreach, all based on Florida Sunshine State Educational Standards. Currently, the Museum’s outreach vehicle, the Science Safari Van, is almost 10 years old, has well over 100,000 miles on it, has no working air conditioning and the side door will not open. The van is vital for the success of the Museum and is in critical condition. Outreach programs by the South Florida Science Museum provide expert educators, transportation and materials such as van der Graaf generators to learn about electricity, animal specimens to teach about life science, and EKG monitors to visualize heart function. These hands-on experiences reach diverse learning styles and are proven to be more effective with under-served students. The van is also used for the highly requested Science Passport Program as well as community events such as the South Florida Fair and Sun Fest to name a few. The Museum’s very popular Science Passport program is aimed specifically at providing Title I schools in the tri-county area with access to science education and knowledge about careers in science. Without the Safari Science van, the Museum won’t be able to continue to offer outreach programs to area children.
About the South Florida Science Museum
The South Florida Science Museum delivers entertaining and educational journeys through the many worlds of science and technology for curious minds of all ages. The Museum features more than 50 hands-on exhibits, a digital planetarium, freshwater and saltwater aquariums, as well as natural history exhibitions. Current happenings at Museum include It’s a Nano World exhibit, Bugz! exhibit, an Amateur Radio Center open on weekends and holidays as well as aquarium feedings and shark petting on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. Each year the museum welcomes more than 125,000 visitors and reaches more than 45,000 students through workshops at the museum and outreach programs to local schools. Established in 1961, the museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to exciting curiosity and furthering the understanding and appreciation of science and technology.
About Toyota.
Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants, including one under construction. Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design.
Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed more than $500 million to philanthropic programs in the U.S.
For more information on Toyota’s commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/community.