Students invited to participate in 26th annual Junior Solar Sprint model car competition

(Rob Underwood of DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal, & Energy, left, watches as students prepare to race their solar cars at the 2018 Delaware Junior Solar Sprint. DNREC photo by Joanna Wilson.)

Registration for schools due by Jan. 10, 2020 deadline

DOVER – Delaware 5th-8th grade students are invited to build and race solar-powered model cars in a statewide challenge of creativity, engineering, and speed in the 2020 Junior Solar Sprint state competition, co-sponsored by DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal, & Energy and the Delaware Technology Student Association (TSA).

The event will take place on April 2, 2020 at the Delaware Technical Community College campus in Dover as part of the National Junior Solar Sprint Competition, sponsored by the U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program.

Public, private, and parochial schools, and homeschooled children in grades 5-8 across the state may register up to two teams of two to four students each. Registration is free, and the Division of Climate, Coastal, & Energy will provide each participating school with two starter kits, each including a solar panel, motor, and wheels.

Interested educators should submit a completed registration form by Jan. 10, 2020 by email to JamesW.Lee@delaware.gov or by mail to DNREC State Street Commons, 100 West Water Street, Division of Climate, Coastal, & Energy Suite 5A, Dover, DE 19904.

The registration form and rules and guidelines can be found on the Division of Climate, Coastal, & Energy‘s Junior Solar Sprint webpage, or the Delaware TSA State Conference webpage. Schools are not required to have a TSA chapter in order to participate. Additional questions can be directed via email to JamesW.Lee@delaware.gov or by phone at 302-735-3480.

For those not familiar with the event, a video of last year’s Junior Solar Sprint is posted on DNREC’s YouTube channel at 2018 Solar Sprint.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902


Governor’s Weekly Message: Recognizing Innovative STEM Educators

DOVER – In his weekly message, Governor Markell discusses the growing need for workers trained in STEM fields – science, technology engineering and math – and a new effort by the State and the STEM Council to recognize innovative STEM educators who are teaching the necessary skills to tomorrow’s workforce.

“When I visit companies like Pats Aircraft Systems in Sussex County, I hear that while Delaware has a great workforce, it’s not easy to find engineers to fill available positions,” said Governor Markell. “By supporting our teachers’ work to help our students excel in science, technology, engineering and math, we’ll help build the future workforce for Pats Aircraft and businesses throughout our state. And that will keep Delaware moving forward.”

Every week, the Governor’s office releases a new Weekly Message in video, audio, and transcript form. The message is available on:

YouTube: http://youtu.be/VD4H-P3f5vU
Delaware.Gov:  http://governor.delaware.gov/podcast_video.shtml
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Facebook: www.facebook.com/governormarkell
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/governormarkell

Transcript to the Governor’s Weekly Message: Recognizing Innovative STEM Educators

 

 


Governor’s Weekly Message Transcript: Recognizing Innovative STEM Educators

The jobs created in our 21st century economy increasingly require a high level of skills in the STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and math. When I visit companies like Pats Aircraft Systems in Sussex County, I hear that while Delaware has a great workforce, it’s not easy to find engineers to fill available positions. In New Castle County, our rapidly growing financial services sector needs more technology workers to fill data analytics and cybersecurity jobs. JP Morgan Chase is sponsoring our state’s Cyber Aces championship competition to help address the hundreds of unfilled cyber positions in the state. Our young people have the talent to make Delaware a hub for growing industries that require expertise in these STEM subjects. But we will only take advantage of their potential if we have great STEM teachers in our classrooms. So I was thrilled to announce our STEM Council’s inaugural Educator Awards in a science lab at Dover High School.

These awards will be given to Delaware teachers who demonstrate innovation and excellence in STEM through teaching, academic collaboration, and student engagement. Through the generous financial support of Ashland, the STEM Council will select two recipients of $7,500 cash awards. That’s a difficult decision because we have so many talented STEM teachers. The STEM Council will highlight the winning individuals or teams of teachers in a statewide symposium this summer, which will allow educators to learn from this year’s winners, and from each other, and replicate successful programs and teaching strategies across our state. To find more information about the process to recognize these teachers, go to Delaware STEM dot org. By supporting our teachers’ work to help our students excel in science, technology, engineering and math, we’ll help build the future workforce for Pats Aircraft, JP Morgan, and businesses throughout our state. And that will keep Delaware moving forward.