ACCELER8 AUTOMOTIVE EDUCATION GROUP HOSTS AT-RISK YOUTH AT FORMULA DRIFT SEATTLE
As the Official Education Partner for the Formula DRIFT motorsports series, Acceler8 Education Group is traveling to Monroe, WA for Round 5 of the 2021 formulad.com PRO Championship.
Working with local Law Enforcement, including the Seattle Police Department Collaborative Policing Bureau, Acceler8 will give “at risk” youth a unique behind-the-scenes look on the sport and the motorsports industry with a view to pursuing careers opportunities in the future.
Acceler8 is an Automotive Education Program run by a small group of Law Enforcement veterans who are seeking to make a difference in their communities. Led by Sergeant Charles Woodruff and Senior Officer Derrick Boykins, and staffed by a number of experienced volunteers, Acceler8 aims to introduce men and women aged 14-24 to the automotive industry and the many opportunities it holds. Its mission is to teach skills to high school students who are at risk of negative engagement with Law Enforcement, and help to build them into leaders. The program is structured to develop positive relationships with Law Enforcement mentors through a shared enthusiasm for automobiles at a critical time in their lives, while also teaching them work and life skills that will help them enter the workforce.
Although the program is based in Los Angeles, Acceler8 is expanding its reach to other communities via Formula DRIFT and would like to invite members of the Seattle, Washington media to attend the weekend and witness the program in operation.
The Seattle Police Activity League will bring youth who are part of its own program (seattlepal.org) as well as kids from the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps (duwamishcleanup.org). The attendees will go behind the scenes at Formula DRIFT on Friday, July 30. During a VIP tour they will meet some of the leading professional drivers as they prepare to qualify for Saturday’s competition heats. The group will also meet and speak to their race teams, and some of the premier automotive companies involved in the sport.
During a previous Acceler8 event at Formula DRIFT Round 1 in Atlanta, GA, the participants were able to meet two-time FD PRO Champion, Vaughn Gittin Jr, and current Championship points leader, Matt Field (see video link below).
For the uninitiated, Formula DRIFT is an all-weather, high-horsepower, high-speed sport. Drivers qualify in cars that typically have more than 1000hp, for a position in the Top 32 elimination heats. Drivers drift the course in pairs during competition, with points awarded for angle, line and style, where proximity and speed are the key ingredients. Teams from around the globe compete in Formula DRIFT, which is the premier drift series in the world.
In addition to its attendance in Atlanta and Seattle, Acceler8 will accompany the Formula DRIFT series to Round 6 in St Louis, Round 7 in Long Beach, CA, and the Final Round in Irwindale, CA. Its aim is to enable more than 200 youth to experience the positive opportunities in the automotive industry this year.
Alongside its partnership with Formula DRIFT, Acceler8 also holds online and in-person classes, including workshop classes, which will be taking place at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles this year.
Acceler8 would like to acknowledge its partners who support its outreach through Formula DRIFT, including:
ID Agency (theidagency.com)
Lucas Oil (lucasoil.com)
Slime (slime.com)
DSM&T (dsmt.com)
Borla Performance Industries (borla.com)
PK Auto Design (pkautodesign.com)
GET INVOLVED
The Accelerate Education Group (Acceler8) is an independent non-profit organization supported by the Los Angeles Police Protective League. It is committed to providing substantive alternatives to crime and substance abuse that will change lives and help build future leaders in Los Angeles County.
In addition to recommending students to the program, we invite the Greater Los Angeles community and automotive enthusiasts to get involved with Acceler8. As a nonprofit organization, it is funded solely by donations and sponsorships from the community. All funds raised go directly to the Acceler8 program and help to provide each student a chance to enter the automotive industry by gaining the skills needed to advance their potential while being mentored by leaders within the community. Furthermore, Acceler8 welcomes qualified volunteers to join the program to impart their knowledge and life skills either mentoring the students or providing their expertise. Please visit acceler8education.org to learn more about the Acceler8 program, to enroll a student, volunteer for the program, or to donate.
ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT
Formula DRIFT is recognized as the leading international drifting championship. Established on the streets of Japan, drifting has evolved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges the driver's skill while demanding a great deal from their vehicle in terms of power and strength. Formula DRIFT provides a series for the best professional drifters from around the globe to compete for the coveted title of Formula DRIFT Champion. As the first official drifting series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken competitive motorsports to the extreme, attracting drift fans and car enthusiasts from all walks of life, and established itself as the global leader for the sport. For a competition schedule, ticket information, special content and livestream, please visit formulad.com
ABOUT ACCELER8
Accelerate Education Group (Acceler8) is an independent non-profit organization supported by the Los Angeles Police Protective League. It is committed to providing substantive alternatives to crime and substance abuse that will change the lives and help build future leaders in Los Angeles County. It does this by providing a curriculum designed to help enhance knowledge within the automotive field, as well as mentoring, life skills, job skills and hands-on experience.
Please visit acceler8education.org to learn more about the Acceler8 program, to enroll a student, volunteer for the program, or to donate.
ACCELER8 SUPPORTERS
Galpin Auto Sports (galpinautosports.com)
ID Agency (theidagency.com)
Los Angeles Protective League
Los Angeles Police Department Community Safety Partnership
PKautodesign (pkautodesign.com)
