Lincoln Prairie students design solar cars
Two teams of Lincoln Prairie students learned today whether the solar cars they designed and constructed could continue to move through a tunnel, even when the energy source (light) was removed.
This project was brought to Lincoln Prairie through a partnership with Siemens Corporation and the FUSE program developed by Northwestern University's Office of STEM Education Partnerships (OSEP).
FUSE engages students through hands-on, inquiry-based challenges in science, technology, engineering, arts/design and math (STEAM) areas. FUSE also has challenges related to robotics, electronics, biotechnology, graphic design and app development, and continues to develop new challenges. Each challenge uses a leveling-up model, similar to the games students play. As students finish one level of a challenge, the tasks become more difficult.
“Failure leads to success,” Lincoln Prairie student Sebastian Frank explained. “You might not get it right the first time, but what you don't get right helps you move forward; helps you eventually accomplish what you want to do.”
Lincoln Prairie students and science teacher Olivia Jones demonstrated the Solar Roller Challenge for representatives from Siemens and Northwestern on Monday, Jan. 13.
“Siemens has had a longstanding relationship with Schaumburg School District 54 and is committed to spreading sustainability education throughout the district and beyond,” says Charley Cohen, national sustainability education director for Siemens. “We really believe activities such as this are the key to engaging youth in science, research and technology.”
District 54 has implemented FUSE at Lincoln Prairie School, the Hoover and Nerge Math & Science Academies and all five junior high schools. During FUSE time, students choose a challenge that interests them on a computer and learn about the challenge. Then, students select the corresponding kit (for example the parts needed to build the solar car).
“The Solar Roller FUSE challenge is fantastic because it exposes youth today to one of the biggest challenges of their generation — the need for abundant and clean energy — and packages it in a fun and approachable way,” said Dr. Dick Co, a professor and the director of operations & outreach for the Argonne-Northwestern Solar Energy Research Center. “Not only is utilizing solar power an important piece of the global energy puzzle, devising ways to store intermittent energy is also critical to the wide-spread adoption of clean energy sources such as solar and wind. We definitely need more students to be inspired to help solve the problem by pursuing careers in energy, in STEM fields and beyond."