One of the largest racing organizations in the world recognized Chicago Public Schools for implementing an innovative STEM education program incorporating motorsports elements.
NASCAR recognized CPS and nine other honorees at its 16th annual NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards in Los Angeles earlier this month. These recipients were recognized for being trailblazers and inclusion advocates.
For CPS, the recognition resulted from what it accomplished off the track via a fruitful partnership with NASCAR, benefitting tens of thousands of Chicago students.
“We’ve been able to engage together in a way that is advancing opportunity for our students, for our teachers and for our communities,” said Kelli Easterly, executive director of STEM at CPS. “So it’s just, it’s great to have that not only the work acknowledged, but the way in which we’ve been able to partner together, acknowledged.”
In 2023, NASCAR teamed up with Chicago Public Schools, where over 22,000 students from 43 STEM and STEAM schools participated in an immersive design challenge focusing on innovating driver helmets. The winning teams, comprised of K-12 students, earned the chance to showcase their engineering prowess at an inaugural STEAM Fest.
Guided by NASCAR Cup Series driver Daniel Suárez and a cadre of industry STEM professionals, these young minds flourished.
Buoyed by the initiative’s success, NASCAR’s Research and Development Team is doubling down on its partnership with CPS. Together, they’re crafting a NASCAR-themed STEAM curriculum to impact over 17,000 eighth graders across the city in 2024.
The start of this partnership stemmed from NASCAR’s interest in engaging with local communities, mainly through education. When NASCAR approached CPS about its inaugural Chicago Street Race, a key stipulation was meaningful involvement with the school district.
This laid the foundation for a collaboration that would intertwine motorsports with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education.
Two primary initiatives emerged from the collaboration: the STEAM fest and integrating a NASCAR-themed unit into CPS’s curriculum. The STEAM Fest, an end-of-year competition focused on design thinking and engineering, saw significant expansion with NASCAR’s involvement. Students were challenged to apply their skills in designing car elements, incorporating concepts like speed, velocity and safety.
Moreover, NASCAR’s existing educational resources were integrated into CPS’s curriculum, enriching the learning experience for eighth-grade students. The curriculum was tailored to leverage the excitement of motorsports using the Chicago Street Race track as a backdrop for learning about force and motion, materials science and engineering design.
The impact of these initiatives has been profound, reaching thousands.
With over 300 schools adopting the NASCAR-themed curriculum, every eighth-grade classroom in the district can explore STEM concepts through the lens of motorsports.
Easterly envisions continued collaboration between CPS and NASCAR, focusing on nurturing students’ interests in motorsports and engineering.
“I would love to see students who might have an interest in motorsports or engineering consider pathways aligned with those industries,” she said. “With this partnership, students have the opportunity to discover and develop interests they may not have been exposed to otherwise.”
Another benefit is that students can begin to learn and apply design thinking—a problem-solving approach emphasizing empathy, iteration and the development of user-centric solutions.
As Easterly highlighted in an interview with The Chicago Defender, design thinking is a tool students can use in the classroom and beyond.
“We can apply design thinking to pretty much any problem you want to solve,” she said. “You only have this much milk in your refrigerator, but you want to bake a cake. What are my available options? Let me test out a couple of models.”
It can even apply to the “big problems that our communities face,” said Easterly, “What are some ideas we can approach? Who are we designing for? And what is the best solution?”
As CPS and NASCAR continue their partnership, they aim to inspire students, broaden their perspectives and equip them with tools and knowledge to pursue diverse career pathways in STEM-related fields.
And if it stokes their interest in NASCAR and motorsports in general, that’s a bonus.
The 2024 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards recipients are as follows:
Crew Member: Mike Metcalf
Mike Metcalf previously worked as the Co-Head Pit Crew Coach and Director of Culture and Community at Trackhouse Racing. The Charlotte native and former football student-athlete graduated with honors from Appalachian State University. Metcalf first entered the world of NASCAR as a pit crew member in 2006. Mike started coaching pit crews in addition to competing in 2012. Mike is one of the few Pit Crew Coaches to be a pit crew champion as both a crew member (08’) and a coach (22’).
Developmental Series Driver: Zach Herrin
Zach Herrin races part-time in the ARCA Menards Series. He’s an out driver who has been an exemplary advocate for LGBTQ+ people in the motorsports industry, integrating inclusion into his ethos through building partnerships with organizations such as Lambda Legal and representing the sport in a positive light both on and off the racetrack.
Sam Belnavis Industry Ambassador: Jefferson Hodges, Team Penske
Jefferson Hodges serves as NASCAR Team Manager for Team Penske and previously worked as Rev Racing’s General Manager and Director of Competition for 10 years. Hodges was instrumental in the growth and stability of the Rev Racing organization, helping train, advance and guide over 100 developmental drivers during his stint. Currently at Team Penske, Hodges continues to keep DE&I efforts at the forefront by working with Rev Racing to identify potential pit crew recruits.
Institution: Chicago Public Schools
NASCAR and Chicago Public Schools worked together to help introduce the sport to a new generation of racing fans when 43 CPS STEM and STEAM schools and 22,000 students from across the district participated in an in-classroom design challenge focused on driver helmets in 2023. Winning teams of K-12 students were invited to the inaugural STEAM Fest to compete in an engineering-focused design challenge with help from NASCAR Cup Series driver Daniel Suárez and a team of STEM professionals from the NASCAR industry. Following the success of the 2023 program, NASCAR’s Research and Development Team has furthered its partnership with CPS to build a NASCAR-themed STEAM curriculum to be rolled out to an additional 17,000+ 8th graders across the city in 2024.
National Series Driver: Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota, has participated in several events to promote dialogue on social justice as an integral part of NASCAR’s diversity and inclusion work with its drivers. Reddick also leverages his partnership with Jordan Brand and his team, 23XI Racing, to engage celebrities and influencers like J. Balvin as an opportunity to expand NASCAR’s reach to diverse audiences.
Outstanding Intern: Chandler Love, University of Miami
Chandler Love joined the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program with a strong passion for Human Resources. Over the summer, Chandler supported various functions within NASCAR’s HR department, contributing significantly to processes and the overall employee experience. Chandler’s dedication and exceptional performance earned her a part-time opportunity with NASCAR as a Learning Administrator as she completes her senior year at the University of Miami.
Partner: Keurig Dr Pepper
Keurig Dr Pepper has shown commitment to NASCAR diversity, equity & inclusion goals through the Dr Pepper 23XI SPEED Institute Tuition Program, which began in 2021. Through this alliance between Dr Pepper and 23XI Racing, Dr Pepper has offered vital financial support by awarding 23 deserving students $5,000 each in tuition assistance. Additionally, several tuition recipients have had the opportunity to gain work experience in motorsports through internships at 23XI.
Team: Venturini Motorsports
Venturini Motorsports has played a pivotal role in the careers of drivers throughout the years. During the 2023 season Venturini Motorsports earned an ARCA Menards West Championship with Sean Higorani while also competing in the ARCA Menards Series with drivers Toni Breidinger, Amber Balcaen and Taylor Reimer. In addition to developing driver talent, Venturini has continued to advance engineering talent hiring Monon Rahman who won his first race as a crew chief with Sean Hignorani in 2023. Venturini’s longstanding commitment to advancing careers and the sport began with The Ultra Blue Crew in 1987, which was an all-female pit-crew that competed in ARCA races.
Track: Phoenix Raceway
Phoenix Raceway utilized the NASCAR Championship Ignition Luncheon benefiting Phoenix Children’s Hospital to generate excitement for the 2023 NASCAR Playoffs and NASCAR Championship Weekend while also promoting NASCAR’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The luncheon, which featured a cross section of NASCAR’s past, present and future that showcased the changing face of the sport to an influential audience, was built on a successful event earlier in the year highlighting STEM’s important role in NASCAR and introducing underrepresented cultures to our sport. The track has also been a sponsor of Phoenix Pride for the past two years.
Young Racer: Katie Hettinger
In 2023, Katie Hettinger was crowned CARS Tour Rookie of the Year, finishing the season second in Driver Championship Points, and receiving the fan vote as Most Popular Pro Late Model driver. She also received the Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award in 2022.
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