Mini-EV Challenge- A Fun Way to Develop Stem Skills for Hunter Students

Career Links is a not-for-profit organisation that creates transitional links between school, tertiary education, and careers for young people in our local region. Newcastle and the Hunter are shifting toward renewable energy, sustainable resourcing, and innovation to ensure a successful future and it is critical to encourage STEM skills capacity in our schools.

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The Mini EV Challenge is a once-a-year opportunity for schools to compete on a fun-filled day of STEM learning, held on the grounds of the Newcastle TAFE on Wednesday 27 November from 9am to 3pm.

With fifteen primary schools and six secondary schools competing and 116 teams registered, the event is expecting around seven hundred students from across the region to attend this celebration of education and opportunity. The schools registered have already received their solar car or boat kit to design and build in class and will compete with them on the day. Through the process of construction, students learn about renewable energy, and the associated science of power generation as they experiment to make their vehicles go faster. Once the design is complete, students take it along to the Newcastle TAFE campus to race it against other schools in a series of exciting challenges that will make learning fun! With cash prizes and trophies to be won for speed, endurance, team spirit and innovation, no one will want to miss all the action.

The day also includes exhibitions and interactive displays where students engage with industry and education providers including the COE Solar STEM Trailer where students can attend workshops to make their own solar cell or enjoy the solar vehicle video game. The Net Zero Economy Agency will be hosting a virtual information hub where students can learn more about what is happening in the region as we move toward a net zero economy and have their questions answered.

There are tours of the TAFE’s Renewable Energy and Aviation departments and a display of electric vehicles to explore including the Janus Electric Prime Mover which has been converted from diesel to full electric, which students can interact with on the day. Then there are the races themselves where students cheer on their school teams - the straight track (speed), oval track (endurance), the aqua track for boats and the CO2 dragster track for those bringing along their own CO2 dragsters.

“We are dedicated to assisting our educators to create career and transition pathways for students leaving school,” said John Purcell, CEO of Career Links.

“As part of this mission, we do all we can to provide fun and engaging opportunities for busy teachers that will help to develop future fit skills in students who participate in our events and activities. We provide these opportunities not just to school leavers but for all students from Primary right through to Year 12. Building STEM capacity in our young people is future proofing our community.”

The event could not happen without the support of sponsors including Regional Development Australia Hunter, The Net Zero Economy Agency, Orica, Port Waratah Coal Services, TAFE NSW, Port Authority of NSW, the City of Newcastle and Janus Electric.

For more information visit http://www.careerlinks.nsw.edu.au/mini-ev-challenge/