International Sustainable Race Track Challenge for Schools Launches

Class Of Your Own (COYO) has released its latest international design challenge for schools to Design a Sustainable Race Track, inviting students aged 13–17 to take on a challenging infrastructure design briefs through the "Design Engineer Construct!" (DEC) program. The challenge creates opportunity for students to represent their school, their community and their country.

Developed in partnership with experts, Ridge & Partners and Driven International, and supported by COYO’s technology partner Bentley Systems, the challenge uses high-performance race tracks to explore the real-world skills behind road design, infrastructure planning and the built environment.

“Driven International, A Ridge Company, are excited to support the Class Of Your Own Sustainable Racetrack Challenge and share how engineers, architects, surveyors and more work together, creatively problem-solving real-world challenges to design safe, high performing race tracks across the world. We are incredibly proud to encourage students and teachers to explore engineering and design to inspire the next generation of innovators,” says Keegan Rhodes, principal engineer at Driven International, A Ridge Company.

Teams will design the full circuit, including the track layout, pit lane, podium, changing rooms and modular spectator facilities. All buildings must be designed using net zero principles and modern methods of construction, and teams must demonstrate how their race track can serve a community purpose when not in use for racing.

Alongside the release of the brief, Class Of Your Own will deliver a global program of live webinars, giving students access to professionals who design, engineer and construct complex infrastructure projects. Themes include Site, Land and Context; Track Design and Performance; Buildings, Materials and Sustainability and Working Like Professionals.

“Ridge & Partners is proud to support the Sustainable Racetrack Challenge. Inspiring young people to think creatively about sustainability and the built environment is essential for shaping the future of our industry, and this initiative offers an exciting platform for the next generation of designers, engineers and surveyors to do exactly that,” says Michael Wood, associate partner at Ridge and Partners.

To support schools, students will also receive technical training sessions in Bentley Systems’ road design tools, building design for modern methods of construction, and Cesium geospatial software for site analysis and visualisation.

“We believe empowering young people with digital skills is essential to building a more sustainable future," Chris Bradshaw, chief sustainability and education officer at Bentley Systems, adds. "The Sustainable Race Track Challenge gives students a hands-on opportunity to explore the same engineering, design and environmental principles shaping real-world infrastructure today. We’re proud to support an initiative that not only sparks curiosity but also equips future talent with the tools and confidence needed to tackle the world’s most complex challenges.”

Speaking about the launch, Alison Watson MBE, founder and CEO of Class Of Your Own, says, “It’s fantastic that we have such an amazing team of professionals supporting this year’s COYO Challenge. Designing a race track is about far more than speed. It brings together the same skills used to design roads, infrastructure and places that communities rely on every day. If young people can tackle this challenge responsibly, they can apply those skills anywhere in the world.”

There’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the winning team, offering the opportunity to take their concept far beyond the classroom, work with industry partners to develop a full digital model and visualization, and experience racing and infrastructure innovation first-hand.

Class Of Your Own is encouraging consultants, contractors, professional bodies and specialist universities to support the challenge through volunteering, mentoring and sharing expertise.

Full challenge details and registration information are available at: https://designengineerconstruct.com/racetrack/

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.