Formula 1 has announced a partnership with the United Nations Children Fund, UNICEF, which will further the charity’s education and humanitarian responses around the world.
The three-year partnership aims to improve digital access to learning through the expansion of UNICEFs “Learning Passport” – a portable digital platform that enables children to continue learning online and offline.
F1’s support will enable the programme to expand to 19 more countries, in addition to the 26 countries where it is already operational, and enable the launch of an offline version for children in Mexico and Brazil.
The three-year partnership will also allow for 50 university students in STEM subjects to receive fully funded tuition by 2025.
Formula 1 also says that it will make a donation to UNICEF’s Emergency Fund to save and protect children In emergencies around the world, such as the recent earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria. F1 made a donation to the same fund following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in March 2022.
“In a sport where research, technology and innovation play a vital role in a driver and team’s success, education is at the core of Formula 1,” said F1 CEO Stephano Domenicali.
“The partnership with UNICEF will enable us to effectively use our sport’s global platform to help bridge the educational divide experienced by the world’s most vulnerable children.
“Every child has a right to a quality education and to be protected during emergencies.
“We are proud that we can play a role in ensuring the most vulnerable children are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve their goals.”
The Chief Executive of UNICEF UK, Jon Sparkes, said, “the world is facing a growing learning crisis, with millions of children continuing to miss out on school and access to the technology they need to learn and flourish.
“Investment in education is fundamental to the development of children and young people, and to building the societies and economies they need for the future, so we must act now to prevent this learning crisis.
“With Formula 1, we are starting a new partnership that will help ensure that more children have access to quality learning and the skills training they need to succeed in school, work and life.
“At UNICEF, we believe that sports play a unique role in bringing people together, helping us to address the biggest issues affecting children, including those caught up in humanitarian emergencies.”
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