More than 20 youth were trained to customize 10 electric-powered ride-on cars to be used as physical therapy cars that increased the toddler’s mobility.

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, USA, December 30, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Together, X-Bots Robotics, the PPG Foundation, and The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Greensboro in North Carolina provided youth participants with an opportunity for hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning that brought independence, smiles, and mobility for toddlers. More than 20 youth were trained to customize 10 electric-powered ride-on cars to be used as physical therapy cars that increased the toddler’s mobility through X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program presented by PPG.

The STEM program, based in California, partners middle school and high school students from a Robotics team with Boys & Girls Club youth participants, who together build specially designed electric cars for toddlers with mobility challenges. X-Bots Robotics uses an open-source program called Go Baby Go that allows children with physical limitations to move, play, and explore their world.

“Thank you so much to PPG for the opportunity to expand the X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program nationwide. Their support has had a lasting impact, beyond what can be measured,” said Elisa Avila, X-Bots Robotics Inc. executive director. “The program plants STEM seeds in the youth participants, develops their leadership skills, emphasizes servant leadership, focuses on empathy, offers STEM mentorship, and exposes them to careers in STEM. In addition, the reconfigured cars contribute to cognitive development by providing independent mobility and play to toddlers with disabilities.”

To date, 855 students have participated in the program, modifying 165 cars for nearly 300 toddlers with mobility challenges who have benefitted from the donated cars to individual families, therapy clinics, and children's hospitals. In addition, more than 160 STEM youth leaders were trained through peer-to-peer instruction, so they could teach other youth participants.

The program exposes youth to various STEM fields and gives them a taste of how a job can make an impact in their communities. Youth participants heard from two PPG employees who volunteered at the event, sharing their career pathways and serving as mentors throughout the workshop.

“Both the PPG Foundation and X-Bots share a desire to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders, to expose students to the skills and mentors that will set them on a path of STEM discovery, and to demonstrate the impact of STEM concepts in helping others,” said Malesia Dunn, Executive Director, PPG Foundation and Corporate Global Social Responsibility. “Through our partnership, we aim to open future opportunities to both the students who will find and explore their passions in STEM fields and families who will benefit from the new mobility cars,”

With the support of The PPG Foundation, X-Bots Robotics can provide STEM educational opportunities to impact a greater number of students, toddlers, and their families. As a global supplier of paints, coatings, optical products, and specialty materials, PPG recognizes the importance of immersing young people in STEM concepts that are linked to real-world solutions and innovations, such as robotics and mobility technology that may one day redefine solutions for our global society. To learn more about the X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program, visit https://www.xbotsinc.com/gobabygo.

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About X-Bots Robotics Inc.
X-Bots Robotics Inc. is an organization that provides mentorship to middle and high school students aiming to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders by developing a passion for STEM careers at a young age. They provide distinctive hands-on technical engineering training opportunities developing students' leadership skills to inspire others through outreach efforts.

About PPG Foundation
PPG’s global community engagement efforts and the PPG Foundation aim to bring color and brightness to PPG communities around the world. We invested $16.2 million in 2022, supporting hundreds of organizations across more than 35 countries. By investing in educational opportunities, we help grow today’s skilled workforce and develop tomorrow’s innovators in fields related to coatings and manufacturing. Plus, we empower PPG employees to multiply their impact for causes that are important to them by supporting their volunteer efforts and charitable giving. Learn more at communities.ppg.com.
PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD^®

At PPG (NYSE:PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and specialty materials that our customers have trusted for 140 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $17.7 billion in 2022. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com.

Marisol Barrios Perez, APR
Mission Driven PR, Inc.
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