- Jaguar Primary School Challenge promotes learning and engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects to help inspire tomorrow’s engineers
- Panasonic Jaguar Racing ambassador and Head of Innovation Noodle from band The Gorillaz attended the event
- Panasonic Jaguar Racing team drivers Adam Carroll and Mitch Evans guided students in electrifying their vehicles to excite young people about the innovative and dynamic careers available in engineering
- First U.S. Jaguar Primary School Challenge held in Long Island City ahead of Qualcomm New York City ePrix Formula E race this weekend (July 15-16)
- Jaguar is the first premium brand to enter the FIA Formula E Championship with its Jaguar I-TYPE Electric Racing Vehicle which also features the Gorillaz logo
(MAHWAH, N.J.) – July 13, 2017 – Jaguar Land Rover, the luxury British automotive manufacturer, in partnership with DOWNSHIFT…Into STEM and Panasonic Jaguar Racing, today held the first Jaguar Primary School Challenge event in the U.S. The event took place at The Factory Building in Long Island City, Queens ahead of the Qualcomm New York City ePrix, the first-of-its-kind Formula E (electric vehicle) race in Red Hook, Brooklyn, July 15 and 16.
Over 40 students, aged 5 to 11, from YM & YWHA, Harlem Academy and the American Association of Latinos in STEM designed and manufactured aerodynamic racing cars made from card stock and raced them using C02 powered cartridges. Panasonic Jaguar Racing drivers Adam Carroll and Mitch Evans surprised the students, arriving in a Formula E inspired Jaguar F-TYPE, to give them the mission to electrify their cars by adding a battery pack for a head-to-head race. Carroll and Evans were on hand to offer the students guidance and answer questions about electric vehicle racing.
Panasonic Jaguar Racing’s Head of Innovation Noodle from the band Gorillaz supported the event and later posted a selfie on her Instagram https://www.instagram.com/watashiwanoodle/?hl=en. Noodle continues to be at the forefront of the campaign to address the skills gap that the British company is facing.
The Super Racers beat out seven teams and were named the day’s winners. They, along with their friends and family, will receive tickets to the weekend’s Formula E race in Red Hook, Brooklyn, courtesy of the Panasonic Jaguar Racing team.
“We are thrilled to be part of the first Jaguar Primary School Challenge event in the U.S.,” said Mitch Evans, Panasonic Jaguar Racing driver. “It was an honor to share our passion for electric racing with such talented young students. We hope they are inspired to pursue STEM-related careers, such as engineering and design, which are available at Jaguar Land Rover.”
The Jaguar Primary School Challenge was launched in the U.K. in 2011 to offer primary school children an exciting and engaging engineering project, inspiring a long-term interest in STEM subjects. In 2015, the program was launched globally with the goal of helping the company engage with two million young people by 2020. It is the only hands-on STEM school challenge of its kind, and has been proven to spark a long term interest in STEM subjects and careers.
“Congratulations to The Super Racers and all the students who took part in the Jaguar Primary School Challenge today,” said Laura Wood, Head of Global PR Brand & Partnerships, Jaguar Land Rover. “It is through programs like Jaguar Primary School Challenge and Panasonic Jaguar Racing’s ‘Race to Innovate’ that we are able to change perceptions of STEM subjects, and ultimately inspire the next generation of engineers and designers.”
Jaguar Land Rover recently partnered with Gorillaz to launch a new code-breaking challenge through the virtual band’s alternate reality app aimed at recruiting the next generation of world-class electronics and software engineers. This first-of-its-kind approach has been designed to inspire and attract a diverse range of talent and fresh thinking to the brand, looking beyond traditional qualifications, and help the company to recruit 1,000 new world-class electronics and software engineers over the next year.
For more information on the Jaguar Primary Schools Challenge, visit http://www.f1inschools.co.uk/jaguar-primary-school-challenge/. For tickets and information about the Qualcomm New York City ePrix, as well as other Formula E races, visit www.fiaformulae.com. For the latest news and information from Jaguar Racing, visit www.jaguarracing.com. To find out more about Jaguar Land Rover recruitment, visit www.jaguarlandrovercareers.com.
# # #
The search for young Talent goes on. Interested applicants can download the Gorillaz App now at the iTunes App Store (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gorillaz/id1217997478?mt=8) or Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Parlophone.Gorillaz&hl=en).
