Michelin North America has re-upped its considerable contribution to Lexington School District 1.

Per a press release at the Board of Trustees’ meeting on Oct. 19, the district’s Educational Foundation announced a $30,000 commitment from the company to support robotics education. The gift, a three-year investment into the district’s seven teams that participate at the middle and high school levels in VEX robotics competitions, comes just as a previous infusion of $30,000 across three years expires.

“We are so very fortunate and appreciative of Michelin’s continued generosity in supporting Lexington School District One via the Educational Foundation in so many ways,” said Julie Anderson Washburn, the foundation’s executive director, at the meeting per the press release. “This continued partnership is a terrific example of a locally-based, international corporation having an immensely positive impact on our students through its financial investments in their education.”

The seven teams that will benefit from the support this school year are Lexington Technology Center/Lexington High, River Bluff High, White Knoll High, Beechwood Middle, Lexington Middle, Pleasant Hill Middle and White Knoll Middle School. 

The release also notes Michelin employees have volunteered with robotics teams in the district for more than 10 years. The company partners with 12 schools across South Carolina through the Michelin Challenge Education Program that supports public Title 1 elementary schools with “tutors, mentors, lunch buddies and financial contributions.”

“Having just completed a three-year, $30,000 donation to the foundation for the district's robotics teams and seeing the impact of that donation on the students, we at Michelin's Lexington Site wanted to take it to the next level,” quoted Lisa Hayes, former site director for Michelin in Lexington in the release. “As we see more automation and robotics in our everyday lives, we must prepare by ensuring our students are ready and able to take us into the future. Michelin places great importance on its relationships with all stakeholders, notably strengthening ties with the communities where we live and work.”