Warren Middle School Earns “Overall Winner” at Junior Solar Sprints Inter-County Final Race
Solar-powered model car, Musk Mobile from Warren Middle School, emerged victorious as the Overall Winner among the finalists at Unity Charter School in Morristown for the Junior Solar Sprints Inter-County Final Race held on May 20, 2019.
After preparing during the 2018-19 school year, 6th – 8th grade students from northwest New Jersey raced down a 66 foot long track for the annual Junior Solar Sprints competition, also known as JSS. The Junior Solar Sprints program is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) competition that engages students to design, build and race solar-powered model cars. 2019 marks the 18th year TransOptions has hosted the event. The year-long program begins in September with in-class presentations and teacher workshops provided by TransOptions staff and ends with the competitions in May. The program adheres to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) which require educators to weave scientific principles in with mathematics and engineering.
“Despite having to be indoors for some of our races this past week leading up to Monday’s finals, we had a very successful program this year and I was very impressed by the talent students brought to the race track,” said Kristen Tomasicchio, TransOptions’ Environmental Education Manager.
Students compete for top awards in Speed, Engineering, Craftsmanship, Upcycled Materials, Progress Journal, and Students’ Choice. This year, more than 4,000 students participated from 115 total schools from Northern and Central New Jersey (Morris, Sussex, Warren, Bergen, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Passaic, Somerset, Middlesex and Union Counties). During race week, (May 13-20), at 70 schools, with more than 300 teams and over 800 students competed in five divisional races for the fastest, most-innovative and best-engineered vehicles. The winners from the division races, (41 schools and 73 teams), competed against the best of the best at the Inter-County Final which was held on Monday, May 20, outside at Unity Charter School.
The model cars run by harnessing the power of the sun and channeling it into the small Pitsco 280 motor. Then, the motor spins the attached “driver” gear. That gear will in turn spin a “follower” gear that is attached to the axle. It is up to the student to make sure they have the correct gear ratio to move the car. Gear ratio depends on wheel size, weight and friction. A car with the proper gear ratio should speed off down the track once light hits their Ray Catcher Solar Panel.
JSS is a considerable financial and logistical undertaking. For participants, materials, instruction and professional development workshops are provided free of charge. Participating schools receive free kits that include the basic materials to build a model car: a motor, a battery pack for testing, a gear set, back wheels, front wheels, axles, rubber bands, alligator clips and eye hooks. Additionally, schools are loaned solar panels to use during the year and through races.
“We gratefully acknowledge Arconic, The Provident Bank Foundation, PSEG, FirstEnergy Foundation, Pitsco Education and 3M for their continued sponsorship, and all of our volunteers for dedicating their time to the program,” said Dan Callas, President of TransOptions.
A complete list of the Inter-County Final winners is also available at transoptions.org/jssfinal. For more information on JSS, visit TransOptions.org/junior-solar-sprints, or contact Kristen Tomasicchio, TransOptions Environmental Education Manager at ktomasicchio@transoptions.org. A non-profit organization, TransOptions is the transportation management association for northwest New Jersey that delivers programs to improve mobility, environment and overall quality of life of all residents and commuters. Photos courtesy TransOptions.
Photo by Trans Options
