General Motors Launches K-12 Education Web Site
Detroit February 12, 2003; General Motors is pleased to announce that it has expanded its corporate responsibility web site, gmability.com, to include its educational initiatives.The interactive site, aimed at students in kindergarten through high school, explores environment, science and technology with fun and educational themes. It is divided into three sections for grades K-4, 5-8, and 9-12.
"Our vision with this new site is to provide fun and educational activities for children of all ages," said Elizabeth A. Lowery, GM vice president of environment and energy. "The site includes information on advanced technologies, new energy sources, and current environmental issues through a complete multimedia learning experience."
GM partnered with Weekly Reader on much of the site's content. Weekly Reader is the leading classroom periodical publisher and currently serves more than 11 million children (pre-K through high school) and 400,000 teachers nationwide. Some of the new features on the site include:
"Vehicle Power," housed on the K-4 site called Earthtroop.com, offers kids' videos, animation and a cartoon with both a fuel-cell and alternate-fuel vehicle theme;
Fuel-cell themed interactive games in the grades 5-8 site, and an interactive animated tour showing how fuel cell vehicles work;
"From Outer Space to Detroit," a feature in the grades 9-12 site about the GM fuel cell executive who was an astronaut, including photos of his space shuttle missions; and
"Cool Car, Clean Future," in the grades 9-12 site, features information on GM's Hy-wire, the world's first drivable vehicle that combines a fuel cell propulsion system with by-wire technology.
The new education site is part of GM's broader K-12 education initiatives, which strive to:
- introduce students to real world applications of science, math and technology
- foster enthusiasm about potential science careers
- motivate youth to improve their communities
