Thomas Built Buses’ Donation of $100,000 Aids Both Academics and Athletics at Guilford County Schools

Thomas Built Buses and parent company Daimler Trucks North America donated $100,000 to support Guilford County schools located in High Point, North Carolina in 2017 through the DaimlerCares program. Over the course of the year, the donation has been used to bolster both academics and physical activity in the Guilford County school district, and to enrich the lives of the students the school district serves.

“There’s no doubt that this generous charitable contribution from Thomas Built Buses has made a difference for our students, teachers and families in High Point,” said Guilford County Schools superintendent Sharon L. Contreras. “Such generosity has allowed our students at Penn-Griffin School for the Arts to perform on a stage with proper lighting and sound for performances. Schools have been able to create MakerSpaces, establish after-school science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs and stock science labs with better equipment. And our teachers have been able to enhance their teaching through professional learning opportunities. Preparing our students for college, career and life must be a community effort – a community investment. On behalf of the students, teachers and families of High Point, I want to thank Thomas Built Buses for their commitment and continued support.”

The donation benefitted a number of schools across High Point. Some of the results of the donation included:

• Replacement of the gym floor at Oak Hill Elementary School
• A new stage sound and lighting board for the Penn-Griffin School for the Arts
• A mentorship program with nationally acclaimed inspirational speaker, Mychal Wynn, which focused on African American student achievement. The program included inspirational presentations, an after-school book club, staff professional development sessions, student mentoring groups and assemblies aimed to increase reading proficiency and decrease discipline referrals at Union Hill Elementary School.
• An after-school STEM program focused on closing the mathematics gap from 4th to 5th grade at Kirkman Park Elementary 
• A STEM-focused MakerSpace at Johnson Street Global Studies to be used by schools, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, library patrons, etc. which encourages students to make, create and learn about STEM
• Educational tools for two new K through 5 science labs at Fairview Elementary School
• Flexible seating and learning spaces at Ferndale Middle School, accessible to all students in the school
• Four EV3 robots for students to develop programming and creative problem-solving skills at Southwest Elementary School

For some schools, the donation came during their greatest time in need. “During the 2015-2016 schoolyear, our stage lighting board ceased to function. Without a lighting board, all school concerts and shows, graduation and assemblies would be on a dark stage. As a performing arts school, stage lights and the ability to program them with professional ability is a necessity we are very grateful to have,” said Howard Stimpson, principal of Penn-Griffin School for the Arts, recipient of the new stage lighting and sound board. 

Thomas Built Buses employees also volunteered countless hours within the school district through programs such as Reading Buddies, coaching the Thomas Built basketball league and volunteering with after-school STEM programs.

“It warms our hearts to see how many students were impacted by our donation,” said Caley Edgerly, president and CEO of Thomas Built Buses. “Our employees always look forward to the times they volunteer with Guilford County Schools.  We are thrilled that our donation was able to impact so many students across the district in so many different ways.”