Marlborough – A group of students in the Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School drafting program recently came in third in an RC (remote controlled) racing event held at Ipswich High School. There were seven other teams at the event from various schools in New England. Assabet was able to enter two cars as the school brought 32 students. The event was sponsored by Ten80 Education.
The goal of the event is to promote STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in an interactive and engaging way.
According to its website, “Ten80’s primary goal is to inspire ALL students to engage in STEM learning because it is relevant to their lives and to provide content and support that channels that inspiration into real academic and emotional success in their chosen fields. STEM is not just for future engineers and technicians, it is an opportunity to help each individual cultivate the confidence that comes from knowing how to effectively answer the hard questions, skillfully tackle challenges and innovate toward a sustainable and prosperous future. ”
“They use the race car challenge as just one way to engage high school students,” said Phil LaCroix, one of the Assabet drafting instructors.
Students need to learn how to set up, adjust, and repair the cars not only in preparation for a race but also to do this on the fly during a race (each team must have a pit crew and also has limited time between races to problem solve or repair). Team members also have to do a three minute presentation, create graphic designs, and submit technical performance data for overall points.
