SAE FOuNDATION communities and make them aware of what opportunities are out there. Partnering with the SAE Foundation and the A World In Motion® (AWIM®) program, we can help prepare students for whatever their selective path will be. Can you tell us about your experience volunteering with SAE's AWIM program and what kind of impact that participation has had on Kia Georgia employees and the culture? As the program grew, we started offering our team members to go into the classroom to support the program. It allows them to be a part of the bigger picture. These volunteers make a connection with students about what their learning and how they can apply those lessons into the working world. Why is it important for Kia to reach those younger students, and how does that fit into your community relations goals? The AWIM program is a part of the larger strategic effort to support STEM subjects and their STEM careers. Engaging them early and often make a positive UPDATE Kia Georgia helps put smiles on the faces (and engineering lessons in the heads) of students from many school districts in Georgia and Alabama near the company's assembly plant in the border town of West Pointe, Ga. Workers at Kia Georgia manufacture the Telluride CUV, the Sorento CUV, and the K5 midsize sedan at a combined rate of 340,000 vehicles/year. impact on the students who graduate and become productive members of our community. Kids that have been exposed to AWIM come through school and have become interns here at Kia Georgia. What advice do you have for other companies that are just starting out and forming their STEM outreach strategy? Talk to the school system, understand what they do and what their needs are. It's important to remember this is a partnership between your organization and the school system. Make it your own; what are your company's strengths and goals? Do you have a flexible work environment where you could allow volunteers to go to the schools? Do you have space available where you can support different competitions? n September 2021 33