New Partnership to Train Educators and Connect Students to the V2X Industry
Square One Education Network and HARMAN International are gearing up to bring vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) development to life in K-12 classrooms throughout Michigan. To kick off this exciting initiative, Square One and HARMAN – working closely with content partners P3 Group and PTC – held their first teacher workshop today at the William D. Ford Career-Technical Center, where teachers developed the first prototype classroom kit of materials that will head to several Michigan schools in September.
The partnership with HARMAN, a company that designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers and enterprises worldwide, will assist in driving Square One’s hardware- and kit-focused teacher workshop model. The model provides participating teachers with the necessary training and classroom equipment for students to actively pursue V2X research, design and demonstration activities. This collaboration supports Square One’s initiative to connect students with industry professionals to give them access to technology, engineers and opportunities that encourage the exploration of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers. In addition to supporting these activities, HARMAN presented Square One with a $10,000 donation for teacher training, including V2X technology starter kits and workshops.
“We are proud to partner with Square One to support this truly innovative program”, said Phil Eyler, President of HARMAN’s Connected Car division. “At HARMAN, our goal is to lead the automotive industry in new connected technologies that make the in-car experience seamlessly productive, entertaining, safe and secure. Extending this investment into education – particularly in the emerging world of V2X technologies and services – is a natural fit and one we are proud to support.”
The primary objective of this partnership is to establish the first 10 of 20 planned “V2X Research and Development Lab Schools” in Michigan in this school year. This initiative is designed to satisfy industry demand for technology leaders by strengthening the future workforce through impactful, hands-on STEM programs. To achieve this goal, HARMAN’s support focuses on providing students with direct experience using V2X technologies, including:
- Providing funding for classroom V2X technology kits supporting two 3D Printed vehicle platforms, fully equipped with various sensors, arduino hardware and other detecting electronics so that students and teachers can initiate their exploration and research involving vehicle connectivity.
- Contributing expertise from HARMAN engineers to provide support and guidance for teachers, their students, and the Square One development team.
- Incorporating HARMAN hardware to the lab schools to demonstrate a relationship between the technologies in the kits and what is actually used in the V2X industry.
HARMAN also plans to adopt local schools within the new V2X Lab School Network to further support in-classroom participation at any level.
“It is very clear that talent development is a critical element in the ability for Michigan to ably sustain the many companies that will need a large and competent work and leadership force,” said Karl Klimek, executive director of Square One. “Through some amazing teachers, Square One works to support schools and districts through the creation of impactful programs that stimulate and engage students; our partnership with HARMAN will significantly contribute to this goal. We are proud to launch this important component that is essential to the economic future here in Michigan.”
