August 6, 2012

Driving SCIENCE, a professional development institute sponsored by DuPont Motorsports, Clemson University - International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) and Daytona International Speedway took place at Daytona International Speedway July 5-6. The aim of the program is to introduce the concepts of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through NASCAR racing. Participants included a team of teachers from the city of Orlando sponsored by DuPont as part of their partnership with The United States Conference of Mayors.

Alan Lambert, one of the teachers from Orange County Public Schools, sponsored by DuPont through their partnership with the Conference of Mayors, said of his experience, “Driving SCIENCE was an unbelievable learning opportunity for me. Learning the many ways science is utilized in NASCAR and being able to participate in hands-on activities will benefit me and my ability to relate science to my students.”

The analysis of speed, understanding force, energy and motion, experimenting with “mouse trap” cars and figuring out how safety applies to major super speedways are all a part of the curriculum. Inquiry-based teaching techniques are used and learned during this professional development course. The institute concluded with a “day at the races,” applying STEM knowledge and motorsport career awareness during a garage tour where participants made connections to STEM and its careers and the cars being prepared for the races.

“DuPont is a leader in supporting STEM education. We all win when we help develop a greater understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, including local communities, businesses like DuPont, the United States and the world,” said DuPont Motorsports Manager Larry Deas, one of the Driving SCIENCE speakers.

During the Daytona STEM Cup Challenge, participants experienced an engineering design cycle. They built a car that was powered by a mousetrap and modified it for greater speed. Presentation of the Daytona STEM Cup Trophy to the winning team of Mary Back, Carey Potter-Whiting, and Richard Costa, all Volusia County teachers, was the penultimate event of the institute, with participants then heading for the Daytona International Speedway and the Nationwide Series Subway Jalapeno 250.

DuPont and the Conference of Mayors will continue to work to expand their science education outreach building off the successful Science in the School Day program. The next Driving SCIENCE event will be in September in Dover (DE) and the DuPont/ Conference of Mayors partnership will be sponsoring another team of teachers from the Mid-Atlantic region.

For more information on Driving SCIENCE or to schedule a Science in the School Day event, contact scienceintheschoolday@verizon.net or 703-980-8099.