Over 550 Chicago Public Schools students traded their classrooms for the Field Museum last Thursday, competing in NASCAR-themed engineering and academic challenges at the fourth annual STEAM Fest Design Challenge — a partnership between NASCAR, Chicagoland Speedway, CPS, and the Field Museum aimed at connecting young people to careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.
Students from 45 CPS STEM and STEAM schools filled the museum floor after more than 22,000 K-12 students across the district first competed in an in-classroom design challenge just for the chance to attend. Those who made it faced grade-level competitions on-site, with the top performers earning complimentary tickets to NASCAR’s Independence Day Race Weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.
The day put students side-by-side with working motorsports professionals, including ARCA Menards Series driver Lanie Buice of Pinnacle Racing Group, Team Penske Pit Crew Coach Kenyatta “Kap” Houston, and Chicagoland Speedway General Manager Jacque Herrera.
“STEAM Fest is all about showing students how classroom concepts connect to real-world careers in motorsports and beyond,” said Herrera, “while creating an exciting and memorable experience that inspires the next generation.”
For CPS, the event represented something bigger than a competition — a chance to show students from across the city that the road to a rewarding career can run straight through a racetrack.
“The wide range of representation in backgrounds, experiences, and expertise shows our students what they can achieve when they apply themselves and the lessons that they’ve learned in the classroom to the living laboratory of motorsports,” said Dr. Corey Morrison, Executive Director of STEM in CPS’s Office of Teaching & Learning.
Field Museum President and CEO Julian Siggers echoed that sentiment, calling the program a bridge between museum science and students’ future ambitions. “Programs like STEAM Fest help students see themselves in future careers connected to science, innovation and technology,” he said.
The annual event is part of NASCAR Chicago’s broader community outreach effort tied to its summer race weekend. After a seven-year absence, NASCAR returns to Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet on July 3–5, 2026, with ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and NASCAR Cup Series all on the card at the famed 1.5-mile tri-oval. Tickets are available at ChicagolandSpeedway.com.
For more information on Chicago Public Schools’ STEM programming, visit cps.edu.