Dubbed an engineering challenge with real results, the Victorian Model Solar Vehicle Challenge is an engineering competition undertaken by hundreds of students across the state.
Students design and construct their vehicles, which are cars or boats. However, one significant factor in the competition is that the vehicle must be powered only by the sun.
The Surfing Kings, The River Rippers and All 4 Cylinders were the three boats designed by students at Congupna Primary School earlier this month that left their competitors in their wake.
The win has qualified them to compete in the Australian International Model Solar Challenge in Tasmania against talented youngsters from Australia and Taiwan on the last weekend in November.
Congupna Primary School principal Adam Cleary said it was a fantastic event, and he was so proud of the Year 5/6 students.
“I think I’m most proud of the fact that it has been a classroom focus, and although we only have 12 students from three of our five teams making it to the next stage, the whole classroom has done a fantastic job this year,” Mr Cleary said.
“Sometimes it’s not easy working with people that you wouldn’t usually choose to work with, but their level of collaboration and listening skills was impressive as a group.
“I think that showed in the results: we placed in the top 10 out of 30 boats.
“All our students arrived in school uniform, sat together, cheered on each of the teams as they went up, and there was real camaraderie among all the students. They did the school and our school community proud.”
STEM teacher Kylie Craik said throughout the process, students learned design, engineering, troubleshooting, sustainability and teamwork skills, and the final vehicles were highly optimised machines with surprising power.
“We built about an eight-metre by one-and-a-half-metre pool that we can disassemble and reassemble as needed,” Miss Craik said.
“We tested the boats rigorously to ensure they float and go forward. We change propellers to ensure they work for the optimum UV for low and high and also test high and low UV. So, there’s a lot of science behind it.
“A lot of talking about symmetry and ensuring that the boat is smooth and nothing will cause drag. Students must also make a poster, a presentation and a video to complement their boat design — they are learning a lot and having fun in the process.”
Before these students can propel their way to Tasmania, they will need help from the local community.
“To get there, accommodation and flights are around $7000,” Mr Cleary said.
“If anyone can help with donations, please reach out to the school.
“STEM is the future. This school places a lot of importance on a skills-based education rather than knowledge-based education.
“We’re trying to give the youth of the area the skills to make the most out of what we’ve got up here in the Goulburn Valley, and this is a wonderful opportunity for our students.”
Past competitors have found a passion in design and engineering and have gone on to study in these fields at Deakin, RMIT, Monash and Swinburne universities.