MILWAUKEE – September 26, 2012 – Johnson Controls, Inc. (NYSE: JCI), the world’s leading automotive battery supplier, is donating a plug-in electric and all-electric vehicle to the automotive program at Milwaukee Public Schools’ Pulaski High School, creating what is believed to be the first program in the nation to give students dedicated access to the most advanced vehicle technology out there today.
“We need to develop a talent pipeline with the skills required to work with increasingly complex vehicle technology,” said MaryAnn Wright, vice president of Technology and Innovation for Johnson Controls Power Solutions. “Our expectation is that these vehicles will inspire students to not only think about what it takes to repair automobiles, but inspire them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).”
The donation is timed to support the Pulaski’s new advanced automotive technology curriculum which is enabled by a series of U.S. Department of Transportation grants for instructor training and classroom upgrades. Johnson Controls’ engineers and scientists will also serve as mentors and coaches to help the students learn about these new technologies in an effort to encourage them to pursue STEM-based disciplines in college.
“Our students deserve access to the very best learning tools and Johnson Controls has stepped up to make that happen,” MPS Superintendent Gregory Thornton said. “We’re grateful for the business partnerships – like ours with Johnson Controls – that allow our students to truly understand, explore and get a head start on post-secondary and career options.”
The program at Pulaski provides the students with opportunities to explore careers in auto maintenance, repair, vehicle design and engineering. It also comes as local and state leaders have focused on workforce development and exposing students at an earlier age to career options and the post-secondary pathways to achieve them.
Students in Pulaski’s automotive program can earn credits to community colleges. This new partnership with Johnson Controls also now builds a bridge with the University of Wisconsin system.
“The Milwaukee Public Schools and Johnson Controls are two of our university’s most important partners,” said University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chancellor Michael R. Lovell. “Through their
partnership here at Pulaski High School, I anticipate all of Southeastern Wisconsin, including our university, will benefit because we will have more young people prepared for their academic and professional futures.”
Milwaukee Public Schools' career and technical education programs are aligned with national standards for college and career readiness and continue to engage students in their education. In fact, students in Pulaski’s automotive program have an attendance rate five percentage points higher than the school’s average, scored 13 percentage points higher in mathematics than the school’s average on a recent state standardized test and scored 11 percentage points higher in reading on the same test.
The program works in conjunction with partner automobile dealers as well as the Wisconsin Auto and Truck Dealers Foundation, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Gateway Technical College and UWM.
About Johnson Controls Power Solutions
Johnson Controls Power Solutions is the global leader in lead-acid automotive batteries and advanced batteries for Start-Stop, hybrid and electric vehicles. Our 50 manufacturing, recycling and distribution centers supply more than one third of the world’s lead-acid batteries to major automakers and aftermarket retailers. Through our innovations we are building the advanced battery industry for hybrid and electric vehicles. We were the first company in the world to produce lithium-ion batteries for mass-production hybrid vehicles. Our commitment to sustainability is evidenced by our world-class technology, manufacturing and recycling capabilities.
About Milwaukee Public Schools
Milwaukee Public Schools is Wisconsin’s largest school district, serving 80,000 students in more than 160 schools across the city. U.S. News and World Report named MPS’ Rufus King International School and Ronald Wilson Reagan College Preparatory High School the two best high schools in the state and among the 200 best in the country in 2012. In the past year, Milwaukee Public Schools posted a growing graduation rate 17 points higher than the rate for 2000.
About the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
As Wisconsin’s premier public urban institution, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee enjoys a growing national reputation for excellence in research, teaching and community engagement. On an operating budget of $680 million, it educates approximately 28,500 students and is an engine of innovation for Southeastern Wisconsin. The 104-acre main campus and satellite sites are located in the economic and cultural heart of the state. The university’s recent expansion includes new academic and research facilities and the creation of the only School of Freshwater Sciences in the United States and the Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health.
Media Contacts:
Gretchen Bartelt, Johnson Controls
414.524.3659
[email protected]
Tony Tagliavia, Milwaukee Public Schools
414.475.8675
[email protected]
Tom Luljak, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
414-229-5024
[email protected]