Solar Cup 2022 Challenges

Solar Cup 2022 will once again be online, offering students a menu of activities that cover a wide range of STEAM fields by building a water-saving device as well as skills with robotics, creating a zero emission vehicle, utilizing CAD software, learning basics of electronics and circuits, creating a water conservation campaign and sharpening skills to explore educational and training opportunities that could lead to landing their dream jobs.

Onshape | Robotics | Public Outreach | Electronics | Solar Panel | Zero Emission Vehicle | Green Career Webinar |  Sustainable Business Teacher Training | >> Go Back

Onshape Challenge

This Challenge uses a cloud-based platform called Onshape which will allow you to learn how to create 3D models. There are tutorial videos to help teach you the program. Students will turn in one of two options for points. This Challenge is open to all students.

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Robot Powered Water Conservation Device Challenge

Teams will create a device that will reduce water use inside the home or outside the home. The device will be powered by a robot. The team will use Onshape to draw their device, get the device 3D printed and attach it to a robot provided by MWD. Teams will program their robot and create a presentation to demonstrate their device. Teams will submit one device for evaluation.

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Public Outreach Campaign Challenge

The focus of this Challenge is to create two outreach projects, aimed at different age groups. One project will be a social media campaign and one will be an activity booklet.  Teams will have to pitch their water conservation ideas to a panel of Metropolitan Water District employees. This is a team challenge so there is only one entry for each project from each school.

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Electronics Challenge

During this challenge, students will learn about basic electronic principles. Students will learn how to use a digital multimeter and items in an electronics kit to build and measure three different circuits. This Challenge will be open to all students.

Download the Challenge Part 1
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Solar Panel Challenge

Students will learn about powering a motor from a solar panel. They will learn how to hook up their solar panels in both series and in parallel. Students will build different circuits using two solar panels and a DC motor then they will learn how to measure the performance of each circuit using a digital tachometer. Using the knowledge they gained from building and measuring the circuits, students will decide which set up would be better for speed and which is better for carrying more of a load. Students will receive hands on kits to complete this challenge.

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Zero Emission Vehicle Challenge

Teams will build a model of a zero emission semi-truck from recycled materials they have at school. The goal will be to build a vehicle that will move quickly but also be able to carry a large load. Teams will be given a kit that contains items they need to build a zero emission truck. They will recycle one of the solar panels from the Solar Panel Challenge to add to the solar panel they get in the vehicle kit. Teams will have to submit photos of one model truck, one set of responses to the questions that are part of the Challenge and two different videos to show the performance of their vehicle.

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Green Career Webinar and Challenge

Students will learn skills to be better prepared to get their dream job. We will have a webinar of professionals in the water and energy industries that will be responding to questions. The webinar will hopefully give students insight into the steps that former students took to get their dream jobs. We hope this will give students useful practice they need for life after high school, and be better prepared for applying for jobs, internships and interviews of any kind. This Challenge is open to all students.

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Sustainable Business Teacher Training

The Sustainable Enterprise teacher training explores the concept of sustainable enterprise and how to create a business that addresses the triple bottom line— people, profits, and the planet. Through this curriculum, students learn to identify and evaluate sustainable enterprises, and gain skills directly applicable to starting or contributing to a sustainable business. In this 2-hour training, instructors will be provided with the tools and resources to integrate SEI's Sustainable Enterprise curriculum into their own classrooms. This training will be led by staff from SEI, an environmental nonprofit that builds leaders to drive sustainability solutions.

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