CHARLOTTE, N.C. — March 26, 2025 — Brightspeed, the nation’s third-largest fiber builder and Stay Plugged In, the leading esports college recruiting platform, announced their joint sponsorship of the STEM Racing USA & Canada National Finals, a national STEM project-based learning program where students design, build and compete using scale formula race cars. Additionally, students will compete in a live round of another Brightspeed sponsored competition, the FORMULA STEM Esports Cup presented by Brightspeed, an EA Sports F1 24 video game-based competition introducing students to careers in STEM fields through the eyes of a race car driver.
"At Brightspeed, we are committed to delivering unparalleled internet speed, connectivity, and performance to communities across our footprint. Now, we're extending that commitment to students by powering esports programs with the same level of excellence," said Tali Kulbeda, head of local marketing at Brightspeed. "Our support of esports and STEM initiatives is an investment in the next generation of innovators, creators, and problem-solvers — the digital leaders of tomorrow. As a technology-driven company, we believe that fostering these fields not only offers a platform for competitive success but also unlocks invaluable skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, shaping the future of our digital world."
The STEM Racing USA & Canada National Finals will be held at the Hilton Charlotte Airport Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, April 7-9, 2025. The winning team will receive $5,000 towards the cost of participating in the STEM Racing World Finals, scheduled Fall of 2025. The top three finishers in the FORMULA STEM Esports Cup presented by Brightspeed also receive a total of $5,000 in scholarship benefits and all students receive free access to Stay Plugged In’s leading college recruiting platform, where students have earned more than $40 million in scholarships since its launch in 2020.
“Brightspeed and Stay Plugged In are providing enormous opportunities for STEM Racing students to grow and develop skills providing valuable career opportunities” said Brian Kendzior, Executive Director STEM Racing USA. “Brightspeed Fiber Internet’s support helps ensure the winner of the USA Finals competes against the world’s best this fall — an incredible opportunity for young students to broaden their perspective on the world they will inherit from us.”
Stay Plugged In renews its sponsorship of the event for a second year. This year, the organization will host a live round of its FORMULA STEM Esports Cup presented by Brightspeed, launching this spring. “STEM Racing provides a perfect accompaniment to our video game-based learning opportunities. Together, we offer schools a pathway to engage students around their passion for gaming, provide digital and hands-on learning projects, and connect them with opportunities to further their careers through college or placement into CTE careers” said Scott Hollingsworth, Stay Plugged In’s COO.
How to Participate
Students can visit racing.staypluggedin.com to register for upcoming FORMULA STEM Esports Cup, presented by Brightspeed Fiber Internet, events.
About Brightspeed
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. and with assets and associated operations in 20 states, Brightspeed provides broadband and telecommunications services through a network platform capable of serving more than 7.3 million homes and businesses. Our 4,000 employees are committed to building a future where more communities benefit from a more connected life, deploying a state-of-the-art fiber network and a customer experience that makes being connected as simple as it should be. For more information, please visit www.brightspeed.com.
Media Contact
Public Relations pr@brightspeed.com
About Stay Plugged In
Stay Plugged In is dedicated to creating educational and career opportunities for high school students through esports, CTE, and STEM programs. Established in 2020, Stay Plugged In has been named the leading esports recruiting platform in the US for three consecutive years, in Esports Foundry’s annual Trends in Collegiate Esports - Year End Report, generating more than $40 million in scholarship benefits for its student members. Stay Plugged In serves as the exclusive agent for STEM Racing in the US and is dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for students of all levels, enabling growth, learning and community through gaming.
Media Contact
Public Relations info@staypluggedin.com
About STEM Racing
STEM Racing USA & Canada, previously known as F1 in Schools, is a not-for-profit social enterprise aiming to promote the learning of STEM subjects. The competition in the USA and Canada allows students aged 6 -19 to participate in a multidisciplinary challenge where they must use professional CAD software to design, analyze, manufacture, test, and race miniature air powered F1 cars. Many students have gone on to have fruitful careers with F1 teams, founded on their success in the program.
Media Contact
Marianne Gutierrez marketing@stemracing.us
DISCLAIMER: This tournament is not affiliated with or sponsored by Electronic Arts Inc. or its licensors.