To coincide with National Robotics Week (April 5-9), Toyota Research Institute (TRI) participated in the MassRobotics “Adopt-a-School” program, where Boston Public School students built robotic hands. The goal of the program is to accelerate the growth of STEM content in the Boston Public School system by creating an accessible curriculum, training teachers, and providing necessary hardware. TRI is one of the first industry partners to adopt a school through this pilot program.

“I’m excited that TRI is supporting this excellent MassRobotics program that is investing in the next generation of leaders in STEM,” said Kerri Fetzer-Borelli, Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement at TRI. “It’s energizing to see public, private and non-profit sectors coming together to bring robotics curriculum to Boston public high schools as part of National Robotics Week. Our hope is to inspire students with diverse knowledge, skills and lived experiences to enter the robotics and STEM fields so that they can have an impact on future innovations.”

The program, hosted at the John D O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science in Roxbury, MA, consisted of a series of STEM based learning sessions at the high school on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon last week. The curriculum utilized ten (10) BrainCo reusable robotics kits, which TRI donated to the school. The instruction was facilitated by a local high school teacher, a MassRobotics instructor and a TRI research scientist. TRI was also invited to talk about careers and projects, as well as provide mentorship to students.

“TRI’s program support and active participation in the activities is the type of corporate sponsorship we love to see. And we at MassRobotics are seeking to replicate this type of support with other corporate sponsors later this year,” says Khalif Mitchell, STEM Lead at MassRobotics.

To further support future academic interests, TRI announced that it will award a $3,000 scholarship to a deserving student pursuing STEM studies. The scholarship will be awarded in the coming weeks and will be the concluding event for the students.