GM Partnership with U.S. Naval Academy opens doors to vehicle engineering

DETROIT--Nov. 14, 2013: Metro Detroit high school students learned what it takes to become an engineer during a daylong, curriculum-based science and engineering camp on Thursday hosted by General Motors with the U.S. Naval Academy.

One hundred students from area high schools had the rare opportunity to visit multiple GM vehicle testing facilities at the Warren Technical Center, including the Advanced Energy Center, where GM develops battery technology; the Climatic Wind Tunnel and the Structural Development Lab.

Officials from the Naval Academy and Ken Barrett, GM's Global Chief Diversity Officer and champion of GM's internal STEM, or science, technology, engineering and math, education council, hosted students. Several engineering team members shared how they apply math and science in their daily work.

"Many of these students do not get exposure to professional careers in science, math and engineering," Barrett said. "Introducing these students early on to tangible applications of what they are learning in the classroom encourages them to pursue careers in these essential fields and with GM."

Some of the students attending the STEM camp attend two United Way for Southeastern Michigan "Network of Excellence" schools, supported by the General Motors Foundation. The schools, including Henry Ford High School and Central High School from the Network, were joined by students from the Detroit Cristo Rey High School and Detroit Institute of Technology College Preparatory schools Cody and Osborn High Schools.

"The U.S. Naval Academy hopes to grow this partnership to continue developing the next generation of leaders and innovators," said Everett Marshall, director of Strategic Outreach for the Naval Academy. "We hope that as a result of this program, students will become more aware of the many doors that a strong foundation in STEM can open, including Navy careers."