Miami Formula E weekend brings high school engineering students into pit lane for hands-on STEM exposure

Students get behind-the-scenes access at Hard Rock Stadium ahead of the Miami E-Prix

More than 100 Miami-Dade high school students toured the working area of the Formula E Miami E-Prix at Hard Rock Stadium, observing how professional teams prepare all-electric, open-wheel race cars for competition. The visit took place on a rainy Friday ahead of the Saturday race on the Miami International Autodrome’s “Miami Loop” configuration, where Formula E teams conduct practice runs, adjust setups and coordinate race operations in a tightly controlled pit environment.

Students moved through garages, watched mechanics work on cars between sessions, and used a racing simulator. For many, the experience connected classroom engineering lessons to real-world applications, from electrical systems and drivetrain components to the teamwork required to deliver a functioning race car on schedule.

Electrathon programs link classroom design-build cycles to electric racing technology

The group included participants from Electrathon teams—school-based programs in which students design, build and race electric vehicles under battery and time constraints. In the Electrathon format described by participating educators and program partners, teams compete on efficiency and reliability, aiming to travel the farthest distance within an hour on a limited battery charge.

Five Miami-Dade schools were represented during the Formula E tour:

• Hialeah Gardens High
• South Dade Senior High
• Miami Carol City High
• Miami Lakes Educational Center
• TERRA Environmental Research Institute

The Electrathon effort in South Florida is supported through multi-year school partnerships that provide equipment packages used to assemble electric go-karts and develop student skills in problem-solving, project planning and safe shop practices. Program organizers emphasized that students often continue racing or engineering activities after graduation, sometimes returning as mentors.

Workforce context: Florida remains among the nation’s largest clean-energy job markets

The student engagement comes as Florida is consistently ranked among the top U.S. states for clean energy employment, based on federal and independent labor-market tracking of energy-related jobs. That broader employment landscape is one reason schools and industry partners have expanded career-and-technical education pathways focused on electrification, including training relevant to EV maintenance and related dealership work.

What students saw on site: planning, precision and rapid iteration

During track activity, students noted the distinct sound profile of electric race cars compared with combustion-series racing and focused on how teams coordinate specialized roles in the garage. The tour highlighted how engineering decisions translate into performance outcomes through rapid iteration—data review, component checks and procedural discipline—while reinforcing safety and communication as core requirements in professional motorsports operations.

Formula E’s Miami weekend served as a case study in applied engineering, bringing students into direct contact with the systems, workflows and career paths behind electric racing.