MEDIA ALERT: UNSW SunSprint Challenge

Media are invited to UNSW Sydney to see hundreds of school students put their engineering skills to the test as they design, build and race solar-powered vehicles.

The UNSW SunSprint Model Solar Car Challenge gives primary and high school students the chance to experience engineering and renewable energy in action – with hundreds of young people competing in a series of races and challenges.

This year, approximately 600 students from schools across NSW and the ACT are expected to take part, with an almost 50-50 split between boys and girls.

The event will feature teams racing their solar-powered cars around a 100-metre figure-of-eight track, alongside other challenges testing students' creativity, engineering ability and problem-solving skills.

The competition provides a colourful and highly visual demonstration of STEM learning, with students having spent weeks or months designing and constructing their vehicles before bringing them to UNSW to compete.

As well as the excitement of race day, SunSprint aims to give students practical experience in engineering, design and renewable energy – while showing them that engineering is something they can actively participate in, rather than simply study in the classroom.

Media opportunities include:

• Hundreds of primary and high school students racing their solar-powered vehicles.
• Teams making last-minute adjustments and repairs to their cars and boats.
• Students explaining how they designed and built their vehicles.
• Interviews with UNSW engineering academics and SunSprint organisers.
• Students celebrating their successes – and dealing with the occasional spectacular crash!
• A strong visual story around young women and girls participating in engineering and renewable energy alongside their male classmates.

“The idea is to bring kids, teach them how to work as a group, in order to build something that is powered by photovoltaics in this case, and learn about the big picture of climate change and renewables,” said Professor Ziv Hameiri from UNSW’s School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering. 

“Usually engineering is very male dominant, but in this competition there are a lot of mixed groups and also girls-only groups and often they are doing very well. And this year we also have teams of students who have been home-schooled.

“Overall, the whole event is a big carnival. You have a lot of colours, a lot of drama. There is always something that breaks and needs fixing quickly. The teams can go through a lot of ups and downs, but there is also a lot of camaraderie and a feeling of community.”

EVENT: UNSW SunSprint Model Solar Challenge

DATE: Friday October 23rd & Saturday October 24th

TIME: 9.30am-4.30pm

LOCATION: Quadrangle Lawn, UNSW Sydney Kensington campus (parking available in Barker Street Parking Station via Gate 14 entrance)

To register your interest in attending please contact:

Professor Ziv Hameiri: [email protected]

For more information please visit: www.sunsprint.com.au

Images

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The UNSW SunSprint Model Solar Challenge event attracts hundreds of school children from across NSW.

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