This year, Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, expanded its Ford Driving Dreams program to reach Mexico with an initial investment of $350,000 in educational and motivational resources. The program has already had two events in Mexico. In January, when the program was launched, nearly 1,000 students from first to sixth grade were positively impacted through educational activities, motivational speakers, and a literacy event. These students were also invited to participate in the “What Drives Your Dreams?” essay contest for a chance to win scholarships. In June, Ford Driving Dreams returned to host an award celebration to congratulate the essay contest winners. The students were able to share their dreams for their academic future and their motivation to stay in school and pursue higher education. The 100 winners received three-year scholarships meant to aid with middle school tuition costs and school supplies. This new Mexico venture includes a partnership with Ford Mexico’s Ford Dealers Civic Committee which operates 193 Ford schools that have an enrollment of 80,000 students and offer parental engagement programs, as well as training for more than 5,000 teachers, directors, and alumni. The Ford schools in Mexico have graduated 1,600,000 students. Ford Driving Dreams was born in 2012 to help students graduate on time and pursue higher education. Today, the program has reached more than 100,000 students in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Texas. The program has delivered close to $10 million in educational resources. To learn more visit www.FordDrivingDreams.com and follow @FordDrivingDreams on Facebook and Instagram.