Jimmie Johnson Foundation 'teams up' to help award inaugural technology grant

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson announced that Robert Sanders Elementary School in San Jose, Calif., is the recipient of the inaugural Team Up for Technology grant, a partnership between the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, Lowe’s and Samsung Hope for Children.

“As the Jimmie Johnson Foundation expands its work to support K-12 education, it is amazing to see the needs that continue to emerge around technology in particular,” said Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet. “We wanted to give people across the country the chance to help move their school forward.”

Johnson announced the awarding of the grant through a video message to students and faculty gathered around a laptop computer provided by the foundation. The $48,000 Team Up For Technology grant will allow the school to purchase the technology it needs to be able to share such videos on a projection screen for the entire student body.

The Team Up For Technology program encourages parents, teachers, administrators and children’s advocates nationwide to nominate their school to receive a technology makeover.  In its first year, more than 1,500 nominations were received through the foundation’s website and Twitter account.  

Robert Sanders Elementary School Principal Julie Howard nominated her own school, sharing that, “We have one small computer lab for almost 500 students, and my students are hungry for technology in their classrooms.  Please help my students achieve great things while using today’s technology they long to be exposed to.”

Robert Sanders plans to use the grant award, which includes $30,000 in Samsung technology, to purchase items including projectors, laptops, digital cameras and document cameras. 

”We are proud to be partnering with the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and Lowe’s to support K-12 education,” said David Steel, Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics North America. “Not only do our efforts address current technology needs in the classroom, they also help get kids interested in science, technology, engineering, and math – subjects that help develop skills that will be so important for their future success.”

Schools selected as Team Up For Technology semi-finalists were given a prize kit that included a Samsung Digital Camcorder and Samsung Laptop to create a two minute video illustrating their school’s technology needs.  Robert Sanders Elementary was selected as the winner from a challenging group of finalists, including Brawley Middle School (Mooresville, N.C.), Breckenridge Elementary School (Breckenridge, Mo.), Claxton High School (Claxton, Ga.), Fair Grove Middle School (Fair Grove, Mo.), North Buncombe High School (Weaverville, N.C.), and Woodland Heights Elementary School (Mooresville, N.C.).  Each school’s videos are now featured on jimmiejohnsonfoundation.org.