The Winners Circle Project (WCP) is a workforce and youth development program. Conceived in early 2019, its goal is to create opportunities for high school students to get hands-on experiences that combine their interests in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math with the world of racing by building a race car from the ground up. Using a project-based curriculum created by WCP, the students learn more than just how to assemble a car. They participate in activities and workshops designed to help them assess their areas of strength and opportunities for growth, including social-emotional development that addresses the needs of the whole student. Additionally, students learn the connections between car building and race production, including the complex structure of professionals that work in a range of different careers within the car racing field.
The program began as a pilot in the Candor Central School District and then expanded to engage students from the Waverly Central School District and Owego Apalachin Central School District. Other school districts are expressing interest in using the program, too. While the pandemic paused the first year of programming, Candor and Waverly were able to complete a full year of the program and finished their cars by the end of the 2021 academic year.
The culmination of their work resulted in an action-packed day at Watkins Glen International Speedway where the inspected and certified cars raced against each other. This day also included behind-the-scenes access to the inner workings of the Speedway, embedding the idea that there are multiple avenues to careers in car racing.
In 2021, the Dyson Foundation awarded grants to not only fund this unique experiential learning program, but also support this nonprofit as it becomes more established.