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New Partnership to Focus on STEM Education, Career Development and DE&I Initiatives; NASCAR Industry to Support At-Track and Virtual Experiences for Club Kids
Press Release
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 25, 2021) – NASCAR and Boys & Girls Clubs of America today announced a multiyear partnership that will support the nonprofit’s mission of enabling and enriching the lives of young people. As the Official Youth Community Partner of NASCAR, Boys & Girls Clubs of America will work with NASCAR and industry stakeholders to engage more than 4.6 million youth and teens across the country with NASCAR content and experiences.
The nationwide partnership will focus on three core areas – STEM education, career development and diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives – and extend across all NASCAR platforms and racetracks. Programming will include both virtual and at-track experiences with an emphasis on local Boys & Girls Club locations within NASCAR race markets.
Partnership efforts will build on the continuing work of The NASCAR Foundation to advance children’s well-being, including ongoing relationships with several Boys & Girls Clubs across the country.
“As a community leader, Boys & Girls Clubs of America continues to have immeasurable impact on the lives of our country’s youth, and NASCAR looks forward to engaging those efforts in meaningful ways,” said Steve Phelps, president of NASCAR. “Through this partnership and together with the NASCAR industry, we have boundless opportunities to advance the mission and objectives of Boys & Girls Clubs of America while at the same time introducing young future fans to our great sport.”
“Kids and teens need safe places and caring mentors now more than ever, and local Boys & Girls Clubs around the country are doing whatever it takes to empower youth and build new opportunities so they can achieve every success in life,” said Jim Clark, president & CEO Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “We are very excited to partner with NASCAR to elevate this support in communities even further, enabling more high-quality programing and experiences that will have a positive impact on kids and teens.”
As young people continue to emerge from the pandemic and navigate virtual learning, year one of the partnership will focus on developing high-quality education programming that will live on MyFuture, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s digital learning platform.
Additionally, NASCAR’s work with Boys & Girls Clubs of America will focus on career development and mentoring across a breadth of industry disciplines and will include engagement with industry executives and other employees.
Throughout the partnership, NASCAR will collaborate with drivers, teams and tracks to amplify the sport’s commitment to Boys & Girls Clubs of America and deepen the engagement with Club youth and teens. NASCAR partners will also have the opportunity to integrate with the new partnership, and several partners will look to build on their own longstanding relationships with Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Eric Shanks, CEO and executive producer of FOX Sports, and Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, are both members of the non-profit’s Board of Governors. Shanks attended Boys & Girls Clubs as a youth and is now a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs Alumni Hall of Fame. Next month, Lazarus will serve as chair of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Annual Conference.
NBCUniversal, parent company of NASCAR Premier Partner Xfinity, has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs for nearly 20 years to drive digital equity. The company has opened WiFi-Connected Lift Zones at Boys & Girls Clubs across the country, including an upcoming Martinsville, Virginia, location to celebrate the NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash, to provide a safe space for students to access Internet for free to participate in distance learning and conduct schoolwork.
Coca-Cola is currently celebrating 75 years of partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and is also represented on the non-profit’s Board of Governors. The NASCAR Premier Partner is also a founding sponsor of the non-profit’s Workforce Readiness Strategy, supporting essential skill development, career exploration, employability skills and credentialing, and work-based learning opportunities for young people at Clubs. Coca-Cola, NASCAR and Boys & Girls Clubs of America look forward to partnering.
Toyota’s partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America is focused on closing the opportunity gap for the nation’s youth and inspiring future innovators, problem solvers and leaders who will make a positive impact on the community.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America provides high-quality programming that helps level the playing field and provide opportunities to young people that will help them build the skills they need to become the leaders, innovators and problem-solvers who shape our world.
To learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America and support its mission with donations, visit BGCA.org.
Tune-in to the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, Apr. 25 at 2 p.m. ET on FOX, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and MRN.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), three regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), one local grassroots series NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series), and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series, NASCAR Peak Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles. More than 4,700 Clubs serve 4.6 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in Boys & Girls Clubs of America-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook or Twitter.
Pete Stuart
NASCAR Communications
704-728-2266
pstuart@nascar.com
Sara Leutzinger
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
404-487-5624
sleutzinger@bgca.org
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