600 Students To Compete In Solar Boat Competition

Metropolitan’s 14th annual Solar Cup gives students hands-on education in water conservation and alternative energy, inspiring careers in science, math and engineering.

An estimated 600 high school students will compete this weekend in the three-day Solar Cup competition by racing solar-powered boats that they have built.

The event, which will be held on southern California’s Lake Skinner, is the culmination of a year-long education program sponsored by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, in which students learn about water conservation, alternative energy, engineering, math and science. The students began building their single-seat, 16-foot, solar-powered boats in November and have equipped them with solar panels, batteries, electrical systems, drive trains, propellers and rudders to maximize their boats’ endurance, speed and mechanical and electrical efficiencies. As part of their program, the students, comprising 38 teams in all, created compelling video and social media campaigns stressing the importance of water conservation.

The Solar Cup, which was launched in 2002 with eight teams and about 80 students, has become North America’s largest solar-powered boat competition. Nearly 10,000 students have participated in various Solar Cup competitions to date, some of whom have gone on to careers in math, physics, engineering and environmental science after learning about water resource management and alternative energy development in the hands-on program.

“Solar Cup gives students an opportunity to take concepts they’ve learned in the classroom and apply them in a practical way focused on conservation and alternative energy development,” said coordinator Julie Miller. “That experience often fosters a life-long interest in science, math, engineering, renewable energy, resource management and the environment and leads students into careers in which they may not have otherwise been interested.”

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state-established cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving nearly 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.