KMMG welcomed local middle school students, to participate in SAE International’s motorized Toy Car competition. The competition was held in the Kia Cafe’ and allowed students a glimpse into the manufacturing process for KMMG’s award winning Kia Sorento and Optima.

SAE International’s Motorized Toy Car Challenge is part of the award-winning “A World In Motion” (AWIM) program. The challenge is designed for middle school students whose teachers are using a multidisciplinary approach. Over the course of the curriculum, students develop a proposal and a prototype for an electric gear-driven toy car of their own design. This year’s program culminated in a friendly competition where students (in Engineering Design Teams of three or four) competed in a 15° Ramp, 30° Ramp, and Speed Competition.

Since 2012, KMMG has donated more than $2.1 million to the SAE Foundation in support of AWIM programs. These programs help to foster awareness of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education in classrooms throughout Troup, Meriwether and Harris Counties in Georgia and Chambers County and Lanett City Schools in Alabama. KMMG also sponsors the AWIM Jet Toy Competition in Atlanta each fall, bringing together approximately 500 5th grade students from these five school districts to test their skills with balloon powered cars.

AWIM is a teacher-administered, industry volunteer-assisted program that brings STEM education to life in the classroom for students in Kindergarten through Grade 8. Benchmarked to the national standards, the AWIM program incorporates integrated STEM learning experiences through hands-on activities that reinforce classroom STEM learning along with other skills such as problem solving and teamwork.

The students had fun as they competed with their designs and hopefully STEM seeds were planted that will result in future technology leaders.