Honda and the Center of Science and Industry (COSI), a nationally renowned science museum, are coming together to launch a nationwide initiative—the Honda Engineering Roadshow—to deliver 20,000 hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) kits, called Engineering Learning Lunchboxes, to students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Distribution of the kits will take place in collaboration with local food banks across the country to help feed hungry lives and hungry minds.
The new Engineering Learning Lunchbox was created in partnership with and as a result of a contribution from Honda, using funds raised via the auction of the first Acura NSX Type S supercar. In 2021, Honda donated all proceeds from the $1.1 million auction of the very first serial production 2022 Acura NSX Type S supercar to charitable organizations, including COSI to support STEAM youth education across the U.S.
Each Engineering Learning Lunchbox contains 10 hours of STEAM content and provides five engineering-focused learning activities showcasing the diversity of STEAM careers at Honda, from aerospace to electrical engineering. It also includes a "Honda Career Connections" game to drive home the importance of engineering education for future career opportunities at modern manufacturing companies like Honda.
"The goal of our Honda Engineering Roadshow partnership with COSI is to inspire young people to consider a STEAM career path, When students get to experience real-world applications of STEAM for themselves, they have a better understanding of what opportunities are available to them in the future."
-Yvette Hunsicker, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility and Inclusion & Diversity at American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
The Honda Engineering Roadshow includes stops across the nation, from California to North Carolina, over the next year. Distribution of the 20,000 Engineering Learning Lunchboxes will take place in partnership with local food banks across the country to help feed hungry lives and hungry minds. This innovative, community-based model will bring together other science centers and museums, after-school providers and community leaders to highlight the importance of STEAM.
At the first Honda Engineering Roadshow stop today in Bellefontaine, Ohio, 750 people experienced science experiments with COSI Education Team Members and received the free Engineering Learning Lunchboxes along with a food donation from Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign and Logan Counties.
"COSI is grateful to have an incredible partnership with Honda, which helps fuel our mission to engage, inspire and transform lives and communities, STEAM education is critically important, and the new Engineering Learning Lunchbox kit, built in partnership with Honda, will bring access and exposure to STEAM to young learners across the country."
-Dr. Frederic Bertley, president and CEO of COSI.
About COSI:
COSI, the "#1 Science Museum in the Country" as voted by USA Today's 10Best, is an esteemed science center that has delighted Central Ohio, with all things science for 58 years, inspiring interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) topics and delivering our experiential, "hands-on fun" brand of learning. COSI has been awarded five EMMY awards for its effective science communication television and video productions impacting science literacy for people of all ages. As a trusted educational resource for families, schools and community partners, COSI is an essential element of our regional and national community, engaging millions of people annually through onsite, offsite and online experiences.
About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility and the Honda USA Foundation:
For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda's mission is to create products and services that help people fulfill their life's potential, while conducting business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Advancing its corporate social responsibility, Honda and the Honda USA Foundation support this direction through giving focused on education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety and community.