Cool Café write up by Samantha Blackmore, Teen Leader
At our most recent VTeen 4-H Science Pathways Café on February 2nd, we had 71 teens welcome members from UVM’s Alternative Energy Racing Organization. AERO is a club dedicated to the study, implementation, and building of hybrid race cars. The AERO team showcases their work in multi-level competitions throughout the year. The speed, endurance, and durability of these hand built cars must be vigorously tested through a series of test runs. These test runs provide information on their vehicles and confirm that they are functioning properly and are top quality.
The AERO team began with a description of the club’s purpose. They provided a step by step procedure of building a technologically advanced car from the ground up. Essentially, they begin the complex process of designing the model using special engineering software. They then work on the diagrams of the various circuits and chips used to control all of the components of the car before the purchasing their supplies. Finally, they can work on the actual construction of the vehicle.
For the rest of the café, we did participated in a hands on activity where the AERO team members set up 5 different activities and participants spent 20 minutes at each one.
