Atlanta, GA (January 10) – STEAM Sports Foundation has opened its scholarship applications for women of color seeking careers in motorsports or automotive engineering.
Applicants should be rising juniors or seniors at a four-year university. The foundation will also provide at least one financial aid package to a female at a technical school pursuing an automotive technician career. Technical school applicants can be high school seniors or first-year students.
Foundation Founder and Executive Director Bob Dickinson cites the lack of women of color in automotive engineering for the foundation’s creation in 2021of these scholarships. Prior to the pandemic, STEAM Sports Foundation originally focused on STEAM-oriented events and career summits. During the downturn the foundation realized that it could still make a workforce impact by bringing viable opportunities through scholarships to a segment of students who often didn’t consider a career in motorsports or automotive engineering.
“In order for women of color to believe there are career opportunities in what can be argued is the world’s most vital industry, the transportation industry, they must see successful people who look like them,” says Dickinson. “Recognizing that motorsports is often where innovation begins, we encourage our scholarship winners to become pioneers and leaders for those who wish to enter the exciting motorsports, automotive field.”
As the industry moves more toward electric and autonomous vehicles, the foundation encourages applicants to demonstrate an interest and focus on innovative technologies. This year, it will provide at least five $5,000 grants for the 2024-25 academic year via a charitable donation from General Motors’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion group. To date, the foundation has provided seven such scholarships, including two technical school awards. In addition, it assists its scholarship recipients by seeking internships with motorsports and automotive entities.
Last year, STEAM Sports Foundation introduced a motorsports “immersion tour” at NASCAR’s October race at Charlotte Motor Speedway for its scholarship winners. The weekend included stops at the General Motors Technical Center, Hendrick Motor Sports and Trackhouse Racing. The foundation is working with General Motors to enhance that experience for this year’s recipients.
Applicants can go to the foundation’s website, www.steamsportsfoundation.org, for more information or go directly to the application form via https://steamsports.wufoo.com/forms/scholarship-application. Applications will close May 15. Recipients will be announced by mid-June.
The “Why” Behind STEAM Sports Foundation Scholarships
STEAM Sports Foundation cites four main tenets in its efforts to provide these opportunities:
1) It wants to be leading agents for diversity, equity, inclusion and advocates for change.
2) It wants women of color to see the automotive/motorsports industry as an exciting and productive career option.
3) It wants women of color to be pioneers in a field where they did not believe opportunities previously existed because they did not see people who looked like them in those positions.
4) It wants its scholarship winners to focus on the future of the automotive industry – environmentally conscious and sustainable innovations that include electric and autonomous vehicles.
About STEAM Sports Foundation
Recognizing workforce and economic development as integral parts of corporate growth STEAM Sports Foundation works with companies, educators and sports groups to develop initiatives around science, technology, engineering, arts and math that impact the world of sports & entertainment.
The foundation’s focus is on scholarships and career summits to help create tomorrow’s vibrant workforce. Its “Women of Color” scholarship program in automotive/motorsports engineering provides diversity 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 Bob Dickinson
Dickinson is a career sports and television executive. Prior to forming Dickinson Partners Group and the STEAM Sports Foundation, he was Chief Operating Officer at TRG/Aston Martin Motorsports, Vice President of Media & Communications at the American Le Mans Series, and Director of Sports Program Acquisition at Turner Sports where he oversaw acquiring the networks’ motorsports programming. He is active in community and diversity-related outreach.
INFORMATION
Bob Dickinson
770-815-0125
