Solar car team to brighten students' day

Elgin's Fox River Country Day School is getting some extra sun power on Friday, May 7, as it will be visited by the internationally-recognized solar car from Principia College for part of its annual Earth Day celebration.

Principia's Solar Car team was started in 1991 as an engineering project for an advanced physics class, but it has evolved into a 20-person team that has raced seven cars in various races across the United States, in China, Greece, Taiwan, and Australia.

Although Principia College, a liberal arts school of 550 students in Elsah, Ill., is too small to have a full engineering program, students on its solar car team have placed in the top seven spots in worldwide solar car challenges over the past decade, out-racing schools with top engineering programs around the country.

In its most recent race, the World Solar Car Challenge in Australia, the solar car (named Ra VII after the Egyptian sun god) placed seventh out of 28 cars from universities around the world.

Student members of the solar car team will be bringing Ra VII up to Fox River Country Day School's campus on May 7 to share information about the car, solar technology, and recent races with the students.

Groups including Citizens for Conservation, Dundee-Crown High School, Spring Creek Stewards, and Nature Preserves Commission have also been invited to attend.

Fox River Country Day School, founded in 1913, serves children in preschool to eighth grade. It is known for its accelerated curriculum, character education, arts program, environmental education and 53-acre campus. Visit frcds.org for more information.