More of this.
I think giving more kids a chance to see STEM, art, writing, etc., in action in the real world can inspire future careers–like, just imagine if middle or high school Colin could see how far creative writing could take him.
Photography by Paris Van Gorder
“Racing’s different now,” explains Scott Taylor, marketing officer for Cadillac Racing. “We didn’t all grow up with hybrid cars. We didn't grow up tuning cars on a laptop, but guess what? Kids are now and we need them. We need fresh thinking, we need new eyeballs on things, and we love showing students all the different things that take place on our team.”
During the Roar Before the Rolex 24, IMSA launched the IMSA STEM program, inviting 27 high school students from Volusia County to experience the fast-paced racing environment.
The goal? To inspire students by showcasing how STEM concepts fuel the world of motorsports, both on and off the track.
The day began with students meeting at the IMSA Konica Minolta Business Center with IMSA President John Doonan. There, Doonan and other IMSA personnel spoke with students about the program, the different things to expect throughout the day and the ever-evolving world of STEM.
“STEM is the symphony of science, technology, engineering, math and all the disciplines of that,” shares IMSA Senior Vice President, Marketing & Business Operations, David Pettit. “In racing, we are fortunate to be the pinnacle of that and showcase that to others.”
The event involved more than just walking around the garages and looking at cars. IMSA offered real-world applications of scientific principles by taking students to specific spots within Daytona International Speedway.
“These groups of students are in either automotive or robotics and IT,” explains Amy Monahan, a K-12 STEM specialist for Volusia County Schools. “Our goal is to have this for all students or a large gamut, not necessarily in a STEM classroom per se, but to give a better understanding of why they’re learning science, why they’re learning math and the different applications of those things.”
The first stop on the tour? The Michelin Tire Center.
With its critical role in racing, tire optimization for various track conditions, sustainability within production and so much more circle back to STEM. Students were able to learn this firsthand from Michelin.
After a surprise visit from the Michelin Man, the group made its way to the IMSA Engineering Center and tech inspection area.
Students learned about data collection and how it helps teams make strategic decisions to optimize performance and competitiveness. They also examined safety gear and test sample materials to learn about impact resistance and heat tolerance, leading to an overall discussion on material science and its role in keeping drivers and teams safe.
During lunch, we had the opportunity to speak with a few students about their interest in STEM and their plans for the future.
“I personally love math, and cybersecurity has a lot of it,” Elsy, a senior who hopes to enter MIT, shares. “Cryptography and encryption are things I enjoy due to the programing behind it.”
For another student, mechanical engineering was the passion they wanted to pursue.
“With a mechanical engineering degree, I really like the flexibility of it,” Sebastian, a junior, shares. “From what I have seen, I can apply those skills almost anywhere but can also find a specialization.”
Moving over to the Whelen Engineering garage, students learned just what goes on behind the scenes for a team and how various systems work together to create the fastest, most technologically advanced race cars in North America.
A key point made during the discussion? How many people with diverse technical experiences come together for one common goal and how racing has evolved.
The day ended with each student receiving a certificate showing their participation in the IMSA STEM event, a handshake from Doonan and closing words.
“I got a lot of information today, especially with a thing that I absolutely love,” shares senior Autumn Olivarez. “Today definitely helped me restore my path and find out what other parts of the mechanical world there are, especially with racing. If it is possible, I would love to be part of this.”
More of this.
I think giving more kids a chance to see STEM, art, writing, etc., in action in the real world can inspire future careers–like, just imagine if middle or high school Colin could see how far creative writing could take him.
Very cool;. Check out "Be Athenian" for similar outreach efforts.
As someone who was in STEM when I first went into college, I wish a program like this existed when I was high school. It really shows that STEM is everywhere and the avenues into motorsports.
STEM is a good thing. The most the school I went to offered was art or music. The sciences weren't thing, unless it was an AP class. If I had a taste of that earlier, I might have known my life direction sooner. Glad to see IMSA getting the youth involved.
If you want a nominally similar program (motorsport-based 'STEM' competition) but at the completely opposite end of the performance spectrum, Florida is one of the few areas where Electrathon is still active.
Greenpower is a similar competition. In the UK, GP is almost like Formula [High School] Student.
https://electrathonofflorida.org/
https://www.fpl.com/community/electrathon.html
https://www.electrathonamerica.org/
I'm just happy they are using the STEM acronym and not STEAM.
Yeah, would have done anything for this opportunity when 16 or whatever. Glad that IMSA invited us as it was a rewarding, educational day. (Plus I got an applause after talking. 
)
In reply to TravisTheHuman :
I was in high school with STEAM was introduced but I haven't really heard much about it since. For those who don't know STEAM is just all the aspects of STEM but it in includes arts, such as design, writing, history, visual arts, etc.
I am not trying to be negative, but some high schools make you choose a path prior to the start of your freshman year, my kids are currently in elementary school and there is almost no STEM activities. When I taught at a middle school we had a local big industrial company that sponsored a engineering Lego class where volunteers came from the company donated their time and materials and taught a hands on class which was great, it was so popular it become a after school club. The following year the company cut the program out, and the school club. In Ohio there is a STEM scholarship that covers nearly all of tuition, which is great but the marketing campaign is terrible. STEM to me is more of a marketing name with little to no substance, within 10-15 mile radius in my area we have NASA (Space) and a big science center, none of them visit the schools or have field trips? How wouldn't that be something that they do?
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