Solar Rollers is an award winning Colorado based high school energy education program that challenges students to design, build and race solar powered cars. Expanding on many concepts from Project ReCharge, including model design and engineering principles, students collaborate in teams to build solar powered cars that they then race against teams from other schools in multiple competitions during a final event on June 1st, 2019 at Reno City Plaza.
Envirolution Seeks Student Teams and Leaders for Solar Rollers Program
Envirolution is proud to help bring this program to our community and we are looking for team leaders to help assemble a team of 8-10 students and oversee and assist in the car building process. Any interested parent or community member can be a team leader (you do not have to be a teacher). The project takes about 40 hours for students and their leader over the 5-month program period. Leaders help students expand their interest and knowledge in engineering and clean energy solutions!
Team Leader Training - December 1st
Don't think you have the skills to be a Team Leader? Team leaders will receive a full day of hands-on training on how the cars are made, step by step, gaining the confidence to help students build their cars.
The Program Cost is Effectively Zero! Thanks to Tesla’s Nevada K-12 Education Investment Fund, the Solar Rollers program, usually priced at $2500, is being offered to Northern Nevada teams at a reduced cost of $500 per team. The cost is offset by a $500 stipend applied to team program costs upon racing in the Solar Rollers Trophy Race on June 1.
Teachers, please share program and videos with students in your classrooms!
Team Leader Benefits
Student-driven program that values the team leader's time
Address climate change through positive solutions
Flexibility to run as a stand-alone after school club or in class
Potential to work directly with a team mentor from Tesla
Student Benefits
Apply STEM skills to a complete energy system
Gain a deep understanding of working with photovoltaics
Develop design skills optimizing power, energy storage and efficiency
Refine the system over time with plenty of opportunities for success
Program Timeline
November 15: Signup period for 12 Solar Rollers high school teams of 8-10 students each. December 1: One-day teacher training at Desert Research Institute. January 2019: Teams receive a cutting-edge materials kit and gain access to the Solar Rollers Online Course. Solar Rollers staffers provide remote support to the teams throughout the school year. April: Solar Rollers provides in-person troubleshooting and testing support for two days in Reno. June 1, 2019:Solar Rollers Trophy Racecooperative competition event - all day long on Reno City Plaza.
ALL MATERIALS PROVIDED!
The Solar Rollers energy education program challenges high school teams to design, build and race sophisticated solar-powered radio-controlled cars. We help teams to hand-build, test and optimize their own clean energy systems - which can hit 25+mph on the racetrack.
Materials Kit - cutting-edge raw materials kit includes carbon-fiber, solar cells, lithium batteries, a great brushless motor and everything needed to build a competitive car using basic tools.
Online Course - An engaging, interactive course leads students through a successful build while encouraging ongoing research and development.
Trophy Race: Teams finish the season by racing cooperatively against other regional teams at a full-day event with 6 separate academic and on-track competitions. The day culminates with the main race, where teams harvest 30 minutes of solar precharge followed by 60 minutes of nonstop racing under continuous solar power. Every team has access to the same amount of sunlight... it comes down to what your team can do with it.
More info?
Email: info@solarrollers.org or call 970-425-6426
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Envirolution is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire and empower the next generation of leaders and workers who will drive the growth of a sustainable economy. EIN: 20-8274660.
