Group1001, IndyCar® Driver Zach Veach and EVERFI Announce New STEM Education Partnership

SONOMA, Calif., Sept. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Group1001 and Andretti Autosport's rookie IndyCar driver Zach Veach today announced a partnership with leading education technology company EVERFI, Inc that will bring hands-on STEM teaching to classrooms nationwide and inspire the next generation of engineers.

The interactive STEM education program, called Endeavor, introduces middle and high school students to exciting careers in technical fields and uses gamified lessons to encourage and prepare students for a career in STEM. As part of the course experience, students will virtually hear Veach talk about his passion for STEM education, the incredible amount of technology that he leverages while piloting his race car, and the critical role his engineering and pit crew teams play in powering his performance. This STEM program will be available to schools at no cost for the next three years.

To kick off the new education program, Veach and Group1001 CEO Dan Towriss hosted 30 local students at the Sonoma Raceway ahead of the 2018 IndyCar Series season finale race. The day at the racetrack guided students through interactive learning experiences that highlight the importance of math and engineering in auto racing, and provided an up-close look at Veach's No. 26 Group 1001 Indy car.

"Since graduating and embarking on a career as an IndyCar driver, I have seen firsthand the importance that a strong science, math and engineering education plays in determining your future and empowering you to achieve your dreams," said Veach. "I hope to use my story to inspire kids and show them that STEM plays a role in many kinds of industries and that it is not just something you read about in a textbook."

Dan Towriss, CEO of Group1001 added, "We know that initiatives at the intersection of sports and education bring positive social change and can help the next generations of learners prepare to solve the challenges of tomorrow through STEM. As the first auto sports driver to join EVERFI's impressive roster of athlete ambassadors, Zach is the perfect role model for kids. He has an unmatched passion and dedication to what he does and is now using his understanding of math and engineering to begin achieving his dreams as an Indy driver."

Eighty percent of the nation's fastest-growing careers require skills from one or more STEM fields. The digital program is designed to spark curiosity in STEM and introduce middle school students to a wide variety of exciting STEM career options. When navigating the course, students reflect on activities they enjoy and receive feedback on how those interests can translate into STEM careers that power innovation.

"It's critical that we equip young people with the science, technology, engineering and math skills needed to inspire educational pathways to careers in these growing fields," said Brian Cooley, EVERFI's President of Sports and Entertainment. "Zach is the first auto racing athlete in North America to have his own STEM education program embedded into school curriculum and we're incredibly excited to work together with him to grow the impact of this program."

Group1001
Group1001 is a customer-centric insurance holding company with combined assets under management of approximately $37 billion as of December 31, 2017. We are reimagining the insurance industry experience in ways that empower people financially and help them live better lives.  Our mission as a group is to make insurance more useful, intuitive and accessible so everyone can get the most value from their money.

Group1001 believes education and sports have the power to transform communities. We partner with Fields & Futures and the Cal Ripken Sr Foundation to revitalize sports fields in communities across the country, to provide safe and nurturing spaces for young people in the communities we serve.  Group1001 also sponsors the Power of Sports, which celebrates powerful stories of people and organizations connecting through sports while driving positive social change for children and communities across the U.S.

For more information about Group1001, please visit us at Group1001.com.

EVERFI, Inc.
EVERFI is the leading education technology company that provides learners of all ages education for the real world, through innovative and scalable digital learning including topics like Financial Education, Digital Citizenship, STEM Career Readiness, Diversity and Inclusion, Entrepreneurship, Social and Emotional Learning, Character Education, and Health and Wellness. Founded in 2008, EVERFI is fueled by its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscription model and has certified over 20 million learners in critical skill areas. Some of America's leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EVERFI investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, Twitter founder Evan Williams, TPG Growth, The Rise Fund, Advance Publications, and Rethink Education, and Rethink Impact. The EVERFI Education Network powers more than 4,200 partners in their education initiatives across all 50 states and Canada. Learn more at EVERFI.com.

Zach Veach
Ohio-native Zach Veach has been climbing the racing ladder for 10 years and, in 2018, will step into his dream full time. Behind the wheel of the No. 26 Group One Thousand One Honda for Andretti Autosport, Veach will complete his first season as a full-time Verizon IndyCar Series driver after previously making two starts America's premier open-wheel series.

Veach's racing roots began at the age of 12, karting in his home state before transitioning three years later, in 2010 to the USF2000 stable of Andretti Autosport. Over the next four seasons, Veach climbed the Mazda Road to Indy ladder with Andretti competing in USF2000, ProMazda and Indy Lights. After setting out of the 2015 season due to an injury, Veach returned to Indy Lights in 2016 capturing three race victories. In his six-year Mazda Road to Indy Career, Veach recorded 13 wins, 14 poles, 39 podiums and 56 top-five finishes.

When not in the car, Veach is an avid rock climber, snowboarder and environmental activist.

SOURCE Group1001