Check out award-winning designs by kids!

Three-dimensional models created by university students and based on imaginative designs by grade school artists are now on display to the public at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California, and the Toyota Center for Innovation in STEM Education on campus at the California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) in Carson, California.

“Fly Higher with Toyota Dream Cars!” is the culminating product of a project now in its second year presented in partnership by Toyota Motor North America, California State University Dominguez Hills, and the Petersen Automotive Museum. The ground-breaking project incorporates all aspects of the STEAM approach to teaching and learning, combining science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math to guide student inquiry, discussion, and problem-solving. The contest and the project are managed by Melissa Richardson Banks of CauseConnect.

For the project, the winning designs from the annual Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest are forwarded to the CSUDH’s Fab Lab at CISE. Using advanced fabrication equipment and techniques such as 3D printing, over a period of months, university student teams work in consultation with the young artists to craft physical representations of the drawings. Using the “Engineering Design Process” (a series of steps followed by engineers to find a solution to a problem), the students research, propose, test, improve, and create their 3D interpretations of the designs imagined by the young artists. The final 3D models are displayed to the public.

Seven 3D models are on exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum in the Rob and Melani Walton Discovery Center through Sunday, March 26, 2023. For museum hours, visit www.petersen.org. 

Three 3D models from the FY22 contest and seven 3D models from the FY21 contest based on designs by grade school artists are on display at the Toyota Center for Innovation in STEM Education (CISE) on the CSUDH campus in the Science & Innovation Building (1000 E. Victoria St., Carson, CA 90747). To visit the CSUDH campus, review this parking map and driving directions, and visit during school hours or make an appointment at (310) 243-2634.

To enter this year’s Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest, visit www.ToyotaDreamCarUSA.com. Artworks by U.S. youth, ages 4-15, can be submitted online or by mail now through January 31, 2023.

3D Models of Winning Artworks by Grade School Artists on Display at CSUDH

Three 3D models from the FY22 contest and seven 3D models from the FY21 contest based on designs by grade school artists can be viewed on the first floor of the Toyota Center for Innovation in STEM Education (CISE) on the CSUDH campus in the Science & Innovation Building (1000 E. Victoria St., Carson, CA 90747:

1. U.S. Silver Award – Category 1: “Space Eco-Car” by Allison Yi, age 7, Wellesley, Massachusetts
2. U.S. Bronze Award – Category 2: “Vacuum Cleaner Car” by Kai Sheng, age 10, Hammond, Louisiana
3. Hot Wheels Design Award & U.S. Honorable Mention: “Steer Clear and Steam Forward into the Future” by Danica Lilly Ball, age 14, Chicora, Pennsylvania

Artworks on Display at Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles

Seven 3D models are on exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum in the Rob and Melani Walton Discovery Center through Sunday, March 26, 2023:

1. World Grand Prize and U.S. Gold Award – Category 3: “Toyota Dream Orchestra” by Ava Yeh, age 15, Mercer Island, Washington
2. World Best Finalist and U.S. Gold Award – Category 1: “Giraffe Car Delivers Happiness” by Helena Zou, age 5, Ridgewood, New Jersey
3. World Best Finalist and U.S. Silver Award – Category 2: “Sweet Car” by Doyeon Lee, age 11, Mill Creek, Washington
4. Petersen Prestige Award and U.S. Silver Award – Category 3: “Building Blocks” by Kaitlyn Chen, age 15, Medina, Washington
5. U.S. Gold Award – Category 2: “The Dragon Car” by Rebecca Liu, age 10, Santa Clara, California
6. U.S. Bronze Award – Category 1: “Ocean Cleaning Vehicle” by Emily Yi age 5, Wellesley, Massachusetts
7. U.S. Bronze Award – Category 3: “Nature’s Restoration Shelter” by Kayli Wong, age 14, Bellevue, Washington

Presented by Toyota

Toyota is proud to hold a contest that inspires children and teens to dream about the future of cars while using art to inspire others to make an impact on the world. Now in its 12th year, the FY23 Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest launched in the United States on October 1, 2022. Artwork by U.S. youth, ages 4-15, may be submitted online or by mail for this year’s U.S. contest through January 31, 2023. Entry forms for this year’s contest are available at www.ToyotaDreamCarUSA.com/entry-forms.

Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan held the first worldwide contest in 2004. Nearly 90 countries now host national contests. All countries submit their top nine winners to Japan as entries into the World Contest. To learn about the World Contest, visit www.Toyota-DreamCarArt.com.

About Toyota: Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 38 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2018. Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.