New Toyota lab at AHS connects education and the workplace

ASHEBORO — A $250,000 grant has created the Toyota Experience Lab at Asheboro High School’s Global Innovation Center.

Representatives from the school, Toyota and shift_ed held a ribbon cutting on May 26 to officially open the lab, which allows students to have hands-on experience with the dynamics of electric vehicles.

A statement by Toyota North Carolina said, “The hands-on learning aims to empower and inspire students as tomorrow’s innovators. This event highlights the partnership between Asheboro City Schools, Toyota North Carolina, and shift_ed, showcasing cutting-edge STEM opportunities for students and staff.”

Dr. Aaron Woody, superintendent of Asheboro City Schools, said students deserve opportunities to experience STEM learning and it should be accessible to all of them. He said the vision of the Global Innovation Center is to bridge the gap between education and industry.

“Students will imagine new opportunities for their future,” Woody said. The new Toyota Experience Lab, he said, “will empower them to design their own future. I truly believe our best days are ahead.”

Don Stewart, president of Toyota North Carolina, said, “This day is for the students. The future begins now,” when students can explore and imagine, and “connect what they learn in the classroom to the work environment.”

Maddie Hicks, an Asheboro High School freshman, said she became interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) in middle school. The Toyota Experience Lab, she said, will allow her to “try new things and dream bigger.”

Woody summed up the new lab: “Hope is on the horizon. This gives students the chance to meet their full potential.”

After the opening statements, the group went into the lab, where large displays had trainers for electric vehicles, hybrids, and EV batteries and charging. There are buttons and levers that students can use to see what happens under varying circumstances.

Gavin Watts, shift_ed manager of special projects, said, “Kids can see what’s inside the car.”

Watts worked alongside Toyota Driving Possibilities to help design the lab.