A solar-power design competition inspiring student interest in engineering

This paper presents an educational outreach activity that utilizes a design competition to inspire pre-college students to continue their education at the university-level and enter into degree programs relating to science, engineering or mathematics (STEM). The competition was one of many activities included in TexPREP (Texas Prefreshmen Engineering Program), which involves high-achieving middle and high school students from the El Paso, Texas region in an academically-intense eight-week educational program. As involvement in TexPREP includes predominantly underrepresented minority students due to the demographics of the region, one of the objectives of TexPREP is to enhance the enrollment and retention of these populations in STEM fields at the university level. The design project included building a solar-powered vehicle in teams of four to six students and concluded with a race in which prizes were awarded for a variety of distinctions. The only rule enforced in the design competition was that the vehicle had to be solely built from a solar power design kit, which included a variety of mechanical and electrical components