U.S. ARMY BRINGS SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM)
EDUCATION TO LIFE WITH TEN80 PARTNERSHIP
Students Get Revved-Up For Interactive Racing Challenge
FORT WORTH, Texas (April 14, 2012) - The U.S. Army and Ten80 Education
announced today a partnership focusing on immersing students in real-life
applications of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
careers.
The U.S. Army was seeking a high-performance educational initiative that is
research-based, compelling for youth and reaches a widely underserved
audience. The level of engineering and teamwork on display at the race track
is reflective of the Army's leading-edge technology and the powerful,
realistic training of its Army Strong Soldiers making this program the right
fit for the U.S. Army and for the NASCAR STEM Initiative. A complete list
of Army STEM-focused programs can be found at
www.ArmyEdSpace.com.
Just like today's Soldiers, students' physical, mental and emotional
strength will be put to the test as they work in teams and compete to
optimize performance of a 1:10 scale radio-controlled (RC) racecar.
Four regions are sponsored by the Army: Boston (March 22), Dallas (April
12), Atlanta (May 3) and Charlotte, N.C., (May 12). The May 2012 National
Finals will be held at the Stewart-Haas Racing Shop in Kannapolis, N.C.
Stewart-Haas Racing's Ryan Newman, driver of the Army's No. 39 NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series car and holder of an engineering degree, will join Tony
Schumacher, driver of the Army's NHRA Top Fuel dragster, and Antron Brown,
his teammate and Top Fuel rival with Don Schumacher Racing, to participate
in the regional events.
Their sponsorship makes it possible for new teams to join the STEM league
and to benefit from regional competitions and support events with
professional mentors. Teachers benefit from professional development
focused on project-based education and learn how to integrate STEM ideals
into science and math classrooms. The U.S. Army also is sponsoring one
winning team from each region to travel to the 2012 Ten80 National Finals in
Charlotte.
"NASCAR racing is one of the few sports that actively use science,
technology, engineering and math in real time," said Jeff Thompson,
mechanical engineer and vice president of technology for Ten80 Education.
"For every one driver, hundreds of technicians and engineers are behind the
scenes making this week's win a possibility. Our student teams operate the
same way."
The Student Racing Challenge is a project-based curriculum for students in
grades six through 12 built on the themes of motorsports and safe,
sustainable transportation. Students across 27 states that work with
Ten80's coalition of engineers and educators collaborate and compete through
challenges that directly parallel the arduous preparation of real NASCAR
teams.
With more than 14 million possible setup combinations for the car, Ten80
Student Racing Challenge offers a wide range of subjects for investigation,
according to Terri Stripling, president of Ten80 Education. From basic
scientific method to upper-level calculus, the program works to bring
real-world math modeling to students of all backgrounds and talents,
including a focus on underserved student populations.
Like NASCAR teams, Student Racing Challenge teams also seek sponsorship and
media presence to earn points as well as notoriety. Points leaders and
regional winners compete in the Ten80's National Finals, a fast-paced
weekend of racing and presentations similar to those at a science and
technology fair.
"We've worked hard over the last decade to create a focused and engaging
curriculum and coalition to support students at all ability levels," said
Beverly Simmons, former middle school science teacher, Georgia Presidential
Awardee and Co-chair of the Ten80 Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization and
sanctioning body for the student league. "We couldn't be more proud of our
partnership with NASCAR, our higher education affiliates and now the U.S.
Army. This will take this important mission to a whole new level."
The core of Ten80 Education was founded in the 1990s when a team of teachers
spearheaded by Simmons reached out to their community looking for ways to
develop authentic classroom applications for math and science. Though they
didn't know it at the time, the engineers, technicians and professors who
answered the questions were forming the first Ten80 Engineer-Educator teams.
Since then, Ten80 Education has continued to pair STEM professionals with
educators to provide professional development for K-12 teachers and to
develop innovative and effective supplemental K-12 programs.
# # #
For additional information, contact:
Terri Stripling, Ten80 Education
Brian Israel, U.S. Army Racing
Toll Free: 1-855-Ten80Ed (836-8033) ext. 4
Phone: 651-485-3420
Email: tstripling@ten80education.com
Email: bisrael@webershandwick.com
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