Lowe's Foundation Supports Students' Education

Pictured Left to Right, back row: Brad Hendrix, Justin Atkinson, Matthew Conner, Cody Jones, Dustin Feichtinger, Tommy Ardry, & Larry Horner.
 
Pictured Left to Right, middle row: Instructor Mark McDougal, Lowe's Store Manager Mike Cooper, Chet Brown, Chris Tackett, Joseph Adkins, Instructor Shirley Brown, & David Standfill.

Pictured Left to Right, front row: Tracy Whitehead & Faith Brown.

Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to Tennessee Technology Center at Hohenwald for their "Green Electrons and HAM" project.
 
The Electronics and Electro-Mechanical Technology Programs' project is to create a "green power" system utilizing full-size solar panels and a wind turbine.  The power generated will be used to power a room that houses the school's Amateur (HAM) Radio Station, thus totally removing the room's power requirements from the grid.  The green technology project's purpose is to reduce our program's carbon footprint and provide valuable information to the community.  The project will include monitoring software that tracks the system's operational status which can be accessed via the Internet. The software will enable students and the general public to observe the status and operational parameters such as green house gas savings, energy production, and annual monetary savings. This will also expand the outreach of our school to the local and worldwide communities raising their awareness to the benefits of green technology. 

Kobalt Donates Tools As Part of Lowe’s National “Toolbox for Education” Program


Pictured Left to Right, Front Row: Lowe's Employees: David Standfill, Faith Brown, Store Manager Mike Cooper, and Heather Bultman.

Pictured Left to Right, Middle Row: Daniel Hayes, Patrick McIntear, Instructor Heinz Autenried, Annaliese Christopher, TJ Malacad.

Pictured Left to Right, Back Row: James Swaw, Brian Rayfield, Charles Hunter, Tim Raines, Jeff Couch, Kirk Branch.

Lowe’s and Kobalt Tools in partnership with SkillsUSA are helping the next generation of trade professionals develop their skills at Tennessee Technology Center at Hohenwald (TTCH) through their Toolbox for Education program.  Lowe’s is donating approximately $1,100 worth of Kobalt tools to the school as part of the national program, which will total about $450,000 to 400 SkillsUSA automotive service technology programs across the nation for use in their classrooms.

SkillsUSA advisor Heinz Autenried, was selected to receive the toolkit for the local Automotive Technology program at TTCH.  “This is a wonderful example of how industry works to partner with education, for the betterment of the technical program and the success of my students,” said Autenried.  “SkillsUSA has had a hug part in the transformation of my students because it has provided skills and leadership training that they don’t get anywhere else.  Lowe’s and Kobalt Tools support reinforces what we are teaching in the classroom and shows the value of education-industry partnerships.”

The national program kicked off in March at the Lowe’s of Edgewood in Atlanta, where four-time reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson personally delivered the first sets of tools to students from Jonesboro High School.  He made the visit to the Lowe’s store just prior to the March 7 Kobalt Tools 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
“By working with Kobalt Tools and SkillsUSA to provide tools to these students, Lowe’s is able to help prepare the future of America’s skilled workforce in their chosen career paths,” said Larry D. Stone, chairman of the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation.  “With Kobalt tools in their toolbox and training from their schools and SkillsUSA, students will be better prepared for success when they enter the workforce.”

SkillsUSA Executive Director Timothy Lawrence agreed.  “The donation of Kobalt Tools to SkillsUSA’s automotive service technology labs nationwide will help prepare the next generation of workers and leaders for the challenging and competitive workforce of the 21st century.  The youth who will benefit from this generous donation will maintain and repair our automobiles in the future,” Lawrence said.  “Through the Toolbox for Education program, SkillsUSA, Lowe’s and our technical training schools are building something together that will truly make a lasting impact.”

"Lowe's of Columbia has been an active member of our communities since 1987.  The store has been able to give grants for other projects in our communities," said store manager Mike Cooper. "E.O. Coffman School in Lawrence County received a grant for a bicycle trail in 2006. Tennessee Technology Center at Hohenwald received a grant for $8,000 in 2008 to build a outdoor exercise park for Lewis County Middle School.  The store has participated every year in the Lowe's Hero's program where the company gives the store $1,200 for a community project. The store employees volunteer with members of the community.  Last year the store built playground equipment with the help of local volunteers at Riverside Elementary School in Maury County. These projects represent Lowe's of Columbia's commitment to both education and community improvement." 
 
ABOUT Skills USA
SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization of students, teachers and industry, working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. SkillsUSA helps high school and college students enrolled in career and technical education programs to excel by teaching employability skills such as communication, problem solving and leadership in conjunction with their trade, technical and service occupations skills. The association's annual membership exceeds 305,000 students and instructors in more than 3,700 schools and colleges in every state, three territories and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit www.skillsusa.org.
 
ABOUT LOWE'S
Lowe's is a proud supporter of SkillsUSA and SkillsCanada, Habitat for Humanity International, American Red Cross, and The Nature Conservancy, in addition to numerous non-profit organizations and programs that help communities in North America. In 2009, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $30 million to support community and education projects in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Lowe's also encourages volunteerism through the Lowe's Heroes program, a company-wide employee volunteer initiative. Lowe's is a FORTUNE 500 company with fiscal year 2009 sales of $47.2 billion and has more than 1,700 stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico.  For more information, visit Lowes.com/community.