Solar-car contest workshop set for Feb. 5

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PROVIDENCE – The Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living will host a free workshop next month to provide information on helping middle school students design and model solar-electric cars.

The “Junior Solar Sprint Leader Workshop” will be held Feb. 5 from 4 to 7 p.m. at The Apeiron Institute’s offices at 17 Gordon Ave. in Providence. The event is free; pizza will be provided.

The workshop will be led by staff from the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. Parents, teachers, home-schooled children, troop leaders and anyone else who might be interested in leading a team are invited to attend.

Each year, more than 100,000 middle school students participate in the Junior Solar Sprint (JSS), a competition launched by the U.S. Department of Energy in the early 1990s. The young people – ages 10 to 14 – design, build and race their own model solar cars with the guidance of a team leader.

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“Using a standard photovoltaic solar panel, motor, and other materials, JSS teams compete to create the fastest, coolest solar car,” the institute said in a news release. “Young people develop hands on skills as engineers, scientists and solar power ‘whiz-kids’ through this highly motivating learning experience.”

This year’s Rhode Island Junior Solar Sprint race will take place on May 16 at 10 a.m. at The Met School, 325 Public St. in Providence. The regional championship will be held June 14 in Springfield, Mass.

To register for the Feb. 5 workshop, contact the institute at (401) 228-7930 or by e-mail at elisabeth@apeiron.org.

Information about the nationwide Junior Solar Sprint (JSS), an annual competition launched by the U.S. Department of Energy, is available from the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association at NESEA.org.

The Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living was founded in 1994. For more information about the nonprofit or its programs, visit www.apeiron.org.

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