CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The 2023 Daytona 500 Champion joined Chicago Public Schools and NASCAR at the Field Museum Tuesday to announce a collaborative initiative aimed at engaging and inspire STEM students.
Which animals are faster than 2023 Daytona 500 Champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s racecar?
Stenhouse said that's just one of the many conversations he had with young STEM students from CPS.
"Some of the older kids in here were super thankful for the opportunity to learn more, and I thought that was pretty cool as well."
The initiative from CPS and NASCAR includes an in-classroom helmet design contest, as well as a new NASCAR-themed STEM curriculum for eighth grade students starting next school year.
Stenhouse said his experience racing constantly reminds him how important it is to foster STEM skills in students.
"The guys and girls that come up with our setups for our race cars are all engineers, so the interest of these kids that they have and a lot of these stem programs play- I feel like- one of the most vital roles in our sport."
Winners of the helmet design contest will receive free tickets to the Chicago Street Race in July.
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