Documentary “Pioneer Engineers” Earns Film Festival Distinctions

Alpharetta, GA (July 8) – STEAM Sports Foundation’s mini-documentary “Pioneer Engineers – Diversity in Motorsports” has earned seven film festival award recognitions to date in the short documentary category.

Best Short Documentary – Paris Film Awards

Gold – Florence Film Awards

Silver – International Gold Awards (Milan)

Bronze – Indie Shorts Awards

Honorable Mention - New York Movie Awards

Finalist - New Film Makers

Official Selection – East Village NY Film Festival

The 26-minute film chronicles six female minority engineering students who spend the foundation-sponsored weekend in Charlotte, NC at a NASCAR race. There they come to understand both the opportunities and challenges of what it’s like to be both a female and a minority chasing a traditionally white male-dominated career as a motorsports engineer. The climb is rocky. There are practically no role models. So … they learn they will have to become the “pioneers.”

The six visit Trackhouse Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, UNC-Charlotte’s motorsports lab, and Charlotte Motor Speedway where they meet inspirations like Alba Colon and TaiJaune Robinson. Both explain that the road will not be easy but that the students have every right to be at the table with their diversity of thought, STEAM-centric learning and grit.

The film was produced and directed by STEAM Sports Foundation’s founder Bob Dickinson and edited by HBCUgo.tv’s Jelani Johnson. The film premiered on HBCUgo.tv’s digital platform and is also available via YouTube: https://youtu.be/U9mJrQAaWz8.

About STEAM Sports Foundation: The foundation’s primary focus is on scholarships and career summits to help create tomorrow’s vibrant workforce. Its scholarship program in automotive/motorsports engineering for under-represented communities provides opportunities to a transportation industry that is ever-changing via innovation and technology with individuals who traditionally did not consider these career paths simply because they saw few who looked like them in the industry.

About HBCU Go: HBCUGO.TV is a leading streaming platform that showcases content focused on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), offering a range of programming that highlights sports, academic achievement, cultural diversity, and the unique experiences of students at these institutions. Launched in 2012, the free-streaming service HBCU GO was purchased by Byron Allen in 2021 and is part of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group (AMG).