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MTM Employees Who Are Part of Mazda Toyota History in North Alabama

Mazda Toyota Manufacturing Launches LIGHT Program to Support Local Schools

“The LIGHT Program is our way of making a long-term investment in our schools and our future workforce.”

Mazda Toyota Manufacturing is shining a new light on education in North Alabama.

This August, MTM announced a partnership with Morgan County Schools Technology Park and Huntsville City Schools Center for Technology to launch the LIGHT Program: Leading Industry Growth by Helping Teachers.

At its core, the program is about connection: coupling classrooms with real-world industry expertise and connecting students with the skills and confidence they’ll need for future careers.

“We heard from our education partners that one of the biggest challenges in delivering consistent, quality career tech education was attracting instructors with industry experience,” shared David Fernandes, MTM Senior Vice President. “The LIGHT Program is our way of making a long-term investment in our schools and our future workforce.”

The LIGHT Program

Through LIGHT, MTM will provide an instructor’s aide who brings hands-on industry knowledge directly into classrooms. Starting in August 2025, MTM Group Leader, Courtney Franklin, will serve in this role, rotating between the two school districts to support teachers and inspire students with her technical expertise.

The program will initially launch at Brewer High School and the MCS Technology Park in Morgan County, as well as the brand-new Center for Technology in Huntsville City Schools.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to bridge education and industry for the benefit of our students and community.”

Building on a Legacy of Educational Investment

This isn’t MTM’s first step into education. Since breaking ground in 2018, Mazda and Toyota have contributed over $750,000 toward STEM education and workforce development in North Alabama. In 2022, MTM also began its Grant Fund, which has since distributed nearly $1 million to support school districts, STEM initiatives, and workforce programming.

Collectively, MTM’s efforts have already reached more than 20,000 students across nearly a dozen school districts. LIGHT takes this commitment a step further by embedding industry professionals directly into the classroom.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to bridge education and industry for the benefit of our students and community,” said Tracie Turrentine, Superintendent of Morgan County Schools.

Looking Toward the Future

Franklin will support Huntsville City and Morgan County schools for up to three school years, with the opportunity to rotate into other districts as the program expands. MTM hopes this model will not only grow across North Alabama but also inspire other industry partners to join in.

“Ultimately, we’d love to see this kind of collaborative program benefitting even more students and building stronger pipelines to industry,” Fernandes concluded.