The 500 Festival Foundation is a fully-charitable 501(c)3 organization dedicated to generating funds in support of the 500 Festival’s mission to produce life-enriching events and programs, fostering a positive impact on the city of Indianapolis and state of Indiana. The Foundation has a specific interest in the advancement of the 500 Festival’s youth programs and initiatives to provide access to underserved communities. From college scholarships for Indiana’s brightest college leaders to a free curriculum for our state’s 4th-grade classrooms to a free program designed to combat childhood obesity and teach kids the importance of leading a healthy, active lifestyle – the 500 Festival Foundation’s investments help enhance the lives of Indiana’s youth and provide a calendar of community activities that invite the participation of all Hoosiers and showcase Indianapolis on a global stage.

500 Festival KidsFit Program

KidsFit is a free program for Indiana classrooms grades K-6 that teaches Indiana youth the importance of a healthy lifestyle through a mix of in-class lessons and running activities, in an effort to fight childhood obesity. 

Foundation Funds raised for this program assist with:

• Expansion of Mobile Runs and Final 5K, including subsidizing of travel expenses of participating schools, materials for mobile runs, participant awards, and more
• Participant t-Shirts and medals
• Development and distribution of the curriculum and supporting materials (certificates, mileage tracking charts, awards)

500 Festival & Indianapolis 500 Education Program 

The 500 Festival & Indianapolis 500 Education Program, presented by Indiana University Health uses the history of the Indy 500 as a teaching tool to enhance and assist learning in the core subjects of Social Studies, Language Arts, Science, Math, Health, Physical Education, and Visual Arts. This award-winning program uses an Indiana Academic Standards-based curriculum. Each year, the Education Program impacts more than 25,000 fourth-grade students from 300+ schools around the state. Schools also have the option of hosting a Mobile Trip, which features many of the same lessons that are taught during Study Trips – including an actual IndyCar! Both opportunities are provided at no cost to schools

Foundation Funds raised for this program assist with:

• Providing the necessary resources to include more schools in the on-site, experimental learning part of the program by increasing the number of Study Trip days at the track as necessitated by demand.

500 Festival Princess Program 

The 500 Festival Princess Program, presented by The National Bank of Indianapolis celebrates Indiana’s most civic-minded and academically-driven young women. Each year, 33 college-aged women are selected as 500 Festival Princesses and serve as ambassadors of the 500 Festival, their hometowns, and their colleges/universities.

Foundation Funds raised for this program assist with:

• Professional development activities
• A $1,000 college scholarship provided to each 500 Festival Princess. Funding supports the continuation and expansion of scholarship opportunities for Princesses.

500 Festival Intern Program 

The 500 Festival Intern Program gives interns an unforgettable experience during the Month of May. This program, which offers hands-on experience across all events and programs, is offered during the spring semester of the academic year and is only open to college-aged students.