North Florida’s first-ever EnergyWhiz Expo on Saturday will feature competitions to build the best miniature solar car and solar cooker.
County Commissioner Robert Hutchinson will attend the event: a forum for elementary, middle and high school students to demonstrate their science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills in hands-on, energy-focused competitions.
Hutchinson will officially declare April 5 as Solar Energy Education Day at the event, which will take place at Sante Fe College’s track.
The UF Solar Gators, a student club founded in Fall 2011 to build a solar-powered car, will host the event and have the frame of their own solar car on display.
“The purpose of the event is to basically get alternative energy ideas out there and support sustainable energy,” said Aja Garrison, 20-year-old UF public relations senior and UF Solar Gators’ public relations chair.
During the regional Junior Solar Sprint competition, teams of upper elementary and middle school students will race to build the best miniature solar car, powered entirely by solar energy and steered by wires.
In the Solar Energy Cook Off, students in fourth through 12th grade will work in teams to design and build solar cookers and demonstrate their efficiency by creating an original dish of food for the competition, she said.
The competitions foster education about sustainability among youth, said Jason Rosen, 21-year-old UF material science and engineering senior and UF Solar Gators president.
“We are excited to be involved with the educational aspect of the event and get the community involved,” Rosen said.
[A version of this story ran on page 3 on 4/4/2014 under the headline "Grade-school students compete in solar engineering competition"]
