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Elementary Students Shift Gears into STEM Learning at Martinsville Speedway

MARTINSVILLE, Va. ā€“ Local fifth graders had the opportunity to experience the excitement of Martinsville Speedway, making their visit into a hands-on STEM learning adventure.

Students from Patrick Henry Elementary School tested their skills on a real racetrack by building rubber band cars and racing them on the historic track.

ā€œWeā€™ve been learning about science and motion, energy, all the types of different energy and all sorts of stuff,ā€ said fifth-grader Adelyn McKenzie.

Drivers from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series shared insights with the students on the importance of STEM education. ā€œAll the math you do, you think it doesnā€™t matter, but it does. It applies; you do more math, engineering, and building different things for the racecar,ā€ said driver Bailey Currey.

Lizzy Fulcher, a fifth-grade teacher at Patrick Henry Elementary School, emphasized that experiences like this help students grasp the real-world applications of their classroom learning.

ā€œThose things they are learning in the classroom, today they can really be put into practice because, you know, a lot of times we say, ā€˜Why do we have to learn this?ā€™ but they can really understand that now,ā€ she stated.

The students engaged in every aspect of the process, from building their cars to making adjustments for improved performance.

Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell noted, ā€œYou see them putting their vehicles together; theyā€™re really into it, theyā€™re serious about it, and that bodes well. That makes us all say, ā€˜Hey, weā€™ve got a great future ahead with these kids.ā€™ā€

As the mini race cars zoomed across the speedway, the students began to connect the dots between their education and the real world.


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Kelly Marsh joined the team in July 2023.