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Congratulations to the Pre-Engineering students, who recently showcased their all-electric car at the Convergence Conference held at Cobo Hall in Detroit
The students were awarded first place in Presentation and second place in Ambassadorship.
The Pre-Engineering class have been participating in an Innovative Vehicle Design (IVD) project since last school year. The student team was funded by the Convergence Education Foundation (CEF). IVD is a unique learning opportunity for students to be fully immersed in an engineering project from the ground up. Blending creativity with engineering, science, math and advancing technologies, students conceptualized, built and are now driving a fiberglass, electric-powered vehicle with an innovative twist.
The project culminated at “Performance Day” held at Nissan in Farmington Hills. Teams put their cars to the test on two tracks: 30 minutes on a figure-eight course and 30 minutes on a long course. There was no recharge in between. Officials reviewed all safety requirements on the car prior to the race, observed teamwork skills and counted laps.
The Regina car was then displayed during the Convergence Conference at Cobo Hall, Detroit MI. Team members discussed the car with the nearly 10,000 engineers in attendance.
This is the second round of Innovative Vehicle Design full-sized electric car project. The first was held in 2006 and will be held biennially to follow the Convergence Conference Schedule as sponsored by the CTEA (Convergence Transportation Electronics Association). There were five teams in the first round and there will be eleven in this second round.
Regina High School is the first all-girl school and all-girl team that was awarded the opportunity to participate. The team currently includes 18 students, along with three teachers who have been specially trained for this mission.
“Industry is crying for the female mind in engineering,” said Karl Klimek, Executive Orchestrator of the Convergence Education Foundation. “We were thrilled to have the Regina team on board this year.”
Students involved in this project are all enrolled in the pre-engineering program, now in its third year at Regina. They meet on a daily basis, with the IVD project its main focus of curriculum. All work was completed in Regina’s Engineering lab located on the school campus.
“Our students have gained a great deal through this hands-on opportunity,” said Marie Walsh, one of Regina’s pre-engineering teachers. . “It was a unique way to make engineering, science and math, come alive in a practical, yet fun manner.”
Corporate partners in the area have assisted as coaches through the duration of the project. In addition, students had access to an ad hoc committee of advisors.
As part of the CEF initiative, participants were required to engage in community outreach. The Regina team participated in this past summer’s Ingenuity Festival, a celebration of technology and art, held at Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland.
CEF developed strict parameters for all vehicles. Cars were required to be single person, lightweight, aerodynamic, high efficiency, electric vehicles with three or four pneumatic tires. Specific design and safety rules applied. Vehicles were to be powered by battery packs supplied by CEF.
“Our students learned more than engineering concepts and applied them to a real project,” said Lisa Lauria, another member of the pre-engineering faculty. “They learned a great deal about themselves.”
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