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These high school students are racing solar-powered boats they built themselves
High school students race boats they built themselves across Lake Skinner near Temecula in the 2018 Solar Cup.
(
Courtesy of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
)
High school students race boats they built themselves across Lake Skinner near Temecula in the 2018 Solar Cup.
(
Courtesy of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
)
For the past seven months, hundreds of high school students have been building boats equipped with solar panels, steering capabilities and motors that produce up to 320 watts of power. This weekend, they're racing the single-seat crafts across Lake Skinner, hoping to win the coveted Solar Cup.
Students from 38 schools across Southern California are participating this year in the annual boat-building battle, which challenges them to put their math and science skills to the test.
Julie Kalbacher with the Metropolitan Water District has been coordinating the competition since it began, 16 years ago.
High school students race boats they built themselves across Lake Skinner near Temecula in the 2018 Solar Cup.
(
Courtesy of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
)
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"It's really morphed into really technologies and possibly a career path for these students," she says. "You know, if they really enjoy this stuff, look for the public agencies. We need engineers. We need wood workers. We need tech report writers."
After all that building with all that marine-grade plywood, the three-day competition culminates Sunday afternoon with 200-meter sprint races. Winners of both the veteran and rookie divisions in the 2018 Solar Cup will receive trophies to take back to their schools.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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