After a successful inaugural electric power race car competition this spring, green|spaces announces the expansion of the program, The Chattanooga Green Prix, that will allow at least 20 more schools to participate next school year thanks to a matching grant offered by the Lyndhurst Foundation.
Last year, eight local elementary, middle and high schools were selected to participate in the Chattanooga Green Prix hosted by green|spaces as a pilot group to design and build the electric power race cars.
Howard High School, Dalewood Middle School, East Lake Academy, Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, Chattanooga School for Liberal Arts, Nolan Elementary, Woodmore Elementary and STEM School Chattanooga were in the pilot group.
“Even though we work in an environment with multiple project opportunities, this one is unique in so many ways. To see students working collaboratively throughout the entire build process was amazing,” said Sue Williamson, team advisor for the Stem School. “Our team was comprised of mostly 9th graders, so they went from not knowing each other to learning to work and grow together. They learned so much math and science as they had to troubleshoot issues leading up to race day. During the actual race, I loved watching how they were able to troubleshoot and find solutions to get the car back onto the track. Most importantly, they had a blast! My kids are already talking about what they would do different to modify the body to make it more aerodynamic!”
For this coming school year, 24 other public schools are interested in participating, most of them being Title 1 Schools. Lyndhurst Foundation has committed to match up to 10 cars, five for middle and high schools and five for elementary schools. green|spaces is seeking local companies to sponsor the program to purchase base kits and give as many schools as possible the opportunity to participate. Sponsors will be recognition by having their logo on the car, just like Nascar. The kits are reusable year after year, allowing hundreds of students to participate with a one-time investment. The Elementary car kits are $3,000 and Middle/High School kits are $6,000.
“The renewable energy and energy service related sector is one of the fastest growing in the nation with solar job rates growing at 17 times faster than the US economy in 2017. Major car companies such as Volkswagen have reported that their entire car fleet of 300 different cars will have electric options by 2030. For green|spaces, this is an opportunity to host a program that aligns perfectly with our mission of promoting sustainable living, working and building by creating a pipeline of students who are not only sustainably-minded but who are also developing a skill set for jobs that will be needed in the near future,” said Michael Walton, executive director at green|spaces.
This program teaches STEM learning objectives in an entirely new way by engaging students to think creatively, working hands-on, and as a team. Members are assigned roles such as captain, parts manager, marketing/pr, and driver. Students quickly learn that they have to work together in order to finish the car correctly and on time.
“Our goal is to become a regional hub for races in Chattanooga,” said Dawn Hjelseth. “There are about 60 teams around the Huntsville area with many more in places like Florida, Texas and Indiana. Teams compete for points, with the top teams becoming eligible to compete in the international race in England. By hosting the races here in Chattanooga, we will eliminate much of the travel expenses allowing many more schools to participate locally.”
Interested companies can contact Dawn Hjelseth, director of development at green|spaces at dawn@greenspaceschattanooga.org or by calling 423-648-0963.
To watch a video of last year’s race: https://youtu.be/TviL3q1Dbk4
To watch an interview of Howard High School Students: http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/play/7290392/the_chattanooga_green_prix
To watch an interview with CGLA’s team: http://wutc.org/post/student-built-electric-cars-race-chattanooga-state-324