FastTrack Delhi is a social initiative launched to provide access to STEM competitions and engineering opportunities for girls from disadvantaged communities in New Delhi, with a focus on participation in competitions including the STEM Racing programme. The initiative works under the belief that in order to enter competitive engineering, not only are interest in engineering and abilities needed, but also specific organisational arrangements, equipment, funding, and continuous nurturing, which are usually available within well-resourced schools but largely absent in some communities.
The initiative has been created to build a network of STEM Racing chapters in collaboration with partner NGOs. Students will be given the chance to operate in groups and engage in the competition in their own communities. In order to ensure consistency across all chapters, it equips teams with a governing charter that outlines their duties, structure, and responsibilities. In addition to this, it will create an engagement resource that will present the competition to potential donors, describe sponsorship options, and inspire companies to support the competition with both financial and in-kind support.Â
This is extended through an incentive programme that will invite local businesses, STEM professionals, and STEM Racing enthusiasts to sponsor, mentor, and engage with participating teams. In order to make it financially easier to enter, the initiative makes it possible to donate and prepare competition kits, and a fundraising event will be organised to cover equipment and related expenses. Throughout the programme, mentoring sessions for participants will take place at partner organisations with stage-by-stage support while they take part in the competition. At the end of every cycle, an intra-NGO showcase exhibition will be held, at which participants introduce their projects and achievements to peers, educators, and community stakeholders.