AUBURN - Jake Bouley more than understands the need to conserve energy and look toward alternative resources.
Bouley, 17, of Auburn, is part of a movement at Auburn High School to develop technology that embodies recent trends in energy, especially when it comes to transportation.
Deep within the high school technology classroom, a silver, 12-volt battery-operated handcrafted and nearly completed racecar waited for its turn to zoom along a racetrack.
Students in teacher Bill Gilmore's technology classes spent the last year building the electric race car, and Saturday, all of that work will come to fruition when the race car travels to Oswego Raceway to compete with cars from a myriad of districts across the region.
Felicia Franceschelli, 17, and Mike Tesorio, 17, both of Auburn, will sit in the driver's seat and send the racecar whizzing across the raceway as part of the New York Electrathon's 2008 Fall Central New York Electrathon Challenge.
“I am looking forward to seeing how everything works out and seeing our work in motion,” Tesorio said.
Gilmore, who teaches engineering courses at the Auburn Enlarged City School District high school, came up with the idea of building an electric car several years ago as a way to introduce students to cutting edge technologies.
“I wanted to give them the opportunity to do something hands-on and put their knowledge to work,” he said.
After spending over a year applying for grants to purchase the equipment requisite for the electric racecar, Gilmore recruited his students in Project Lead the Way - a national program that gives middle and high school students education needed to develop strong backgrounds in science and engineering - to construct the racecar.
And students certainly were a part of the project, from start to finish. They wired the electric battery, installed the three wheels, and constructed the structure, among other things.
Tim Brown, 17, of Auburn, said he enjoyed learning the various aspects of engineering and being a part of a project that has real-life applications.
Gilmore said he had three goals for the project.
“The first goal of this is to get students involved in the community,” he said. “The second goal is to help raise their awareness and the community's awareness in alternative energies and get them involved in alternative sources of energy.
“And lastly, to lay the groundwork for the continuing study of engineering, and to have fun.”
Students placed the finishing touches on the racecar in the weeks preceding the race and prepared for the competition that will bring racecars from districts both near - like the Cato-Meridian Central School District - and far - like Somers Central School District in Westchester County.
While the racecar may be the product of current students' hard work, Bouley believes the car will impact many more people.
“We'll leave it to the next generation and help them understand energy conservation.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or Alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
If you go
What: New York Electrathon's 2008 Fall Central New York Electrathon Challenge
When: Saturday, Oct. 4
Where: Oswego Raceway
Deep within the high school technology classroom, a silver, 12-volt battery-operated handcrafted and nearly completed racecar waited for its turn to zoom along a racetrack.
Students in teacher Bill Gilmore's technology classes spent the last year building the electric race car, and Saturday, all of that work will come to fruition when the race car travels to Oswego Raceway to compete with cars from a myriad of districts across the region.
Felicia Franceschelli, 17, and Mike Tesorio, 17, both of Auburn, will sit in the driver's seat and send the racecar whizzing across the raceway as part of the New York Electrathon's 2008 Fall Central New York Electrathon Challenge.
“I am looking forward to seeing how everything works out and seeing our work in motion,” Tesorio said.
Gilmore, who teaches engineering courses at the Auburn Enlarged City School District high school, came up with the idea of building an electric car several years ago as a way to introduce students to cutting edge technologies.
“I wanted to give them the opportunity to do something hands-on and put their knowledge to work,” he said.
After spending over a year applying for grants to purchase the equipment requisite for the electric racecar, Gilmore recruited his students in Project Lead the Way - a national program that gives middle and high school students education needed to develop strong backgrounds in science and engineering - to construct the racecar.
And students certainly were a part of the project, from start to finish. They wired the electric battery, installed the three wheels, and constructed the structure, among other things.
Tim Brown, 17, of Auburn, said he enjoyed learning the various aspects of engineering and being a part of a project that has real-life applications.
Gilmore said he had three goals for the project.
“The first goal of this is to get students involved in the community,” he said. “The second goal is to help raise their awareness and the community's awareness in alternative energies and get them involved in alternative sources of energy.
“And lastly, to lay the groundwork for the continuing study of engineering, and to have fun.”
Students placed the finishing touches on the racecar in the weeks preceding the race and prepared for the competition that will bring racecars from districts both near - like the Cato-Meridian Central School District - and far - like Somers Central School District in Westchester County.
While the racecar may be the product of current students' hard work, Bouley believes the car will impact many more people.
“We'll leave it to the next generation and help them understand energy conservation.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or Alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
If you go
What: New York Electrathon's 2008 Fall Central New York Electrathon Challenge
When: Saturday, Oct. 4
Where: Oswego Raceway
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