(March 21, 2017) ERLANGER, Ky. — Creating an enduring gift to fuel the economic engine of the Tri-State, Toyota has announced that it is donating its Quality and Production Engineering Laboratory on its campus in Erlanger to develop a STEAM-focused education center to serve the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati region. The vision, a collaborative endeavor involving state and local leaders, is world-class STEAM education that inspires the next generation to be creative and engaged, highly skilled, tech-savvy and work-ready problem solvers.

To help bring the vision to reality, Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin announced a $6.8 million Work Ready Skills initiative grant to Boone County Schools to adapt Toyota’s office and engineering lab into a school.

The new school, scheduled to be ready for students in fall 2019 for the 2019-2020 school year, will be called the Ignite Institute at Roebling Innovation Center. 

“Since announcing the transition from Erlanger, we collaborated with civic, business and education leaders on how we could best serve the region," said Mike Goss, general manager, Toyota Social Innovation.

“We hope to create a lasting positive impact through this school, helping prepare students for the next generation of jobs. We invite other companies and businesses, and the region's civic leaders to help make the school a success.”

The goal of Ignite Institute is threefold: to open a world of possibilities for students through science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics; to fill the workforce pipeline with creative  and educated workers for the future; and to help make the Tri-State a magnet for high-value industries, enabling it to compete globally and elevating opportunity for all in the region.

Toyota's Quality and Engineering Laboratory facility is a 183,000-square-foot, two-story building located at 37 Atlantic Avenue, Erlanger, Ky. It has expansive lab and engineering workspaces, high bay equipment areas, office spaces, high ceilings to accommodate robotics/automation, several mezzanines, and multiple elevators. The gift also includes approximately 22 acres and adjacent parking lots.

Toyota still occupies the Erlanger campus but has been transitioning from it as the company consolidates its North American headquarters in Texas. Its final team member groups are scheduled to move from the lab building by the end of 2017. With its plant in Georgetown employing 8,000 and producing more than 500,000 vehicles a year, Toyota's presence in Kentucky remains strong.