By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
February 24, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — They may not be faster than the speed of light, but nobody is saying they can’t travel via light.

A group of students from Frontier STEM High School have partnered together to enter the 2016 Solar Car Challenge. The solar car team at Frontier STEM High School is fully engaged in their relentless pursuit of efficiency, speed, and engineering excellence as they work diligently to build a new solar car from the ground up. As the only high school in the state of Missouri competing in this year’s national 2016 Solar Car Challenge this July, their goal is to design, build, and safely race a car from Fort Worth, Texas, to Minneapolis, at the fastest speed possible, using only sunlight as fuel.

Cevad Cevik, physics teacher at STEM High School, said originally, 120 students signed-up for this project. That number was eventually whittled down to 11. From there, they got to work. The Frontier Solar Car Project is actively pursuing alternative solutions in solar-electric technology, helping to develop energy options for the future by designing, building and racing.

Entering the contest won’t be cheap, either. The project expenses range from $30,000 – $35,000 and include travel for team members and transporting the vehicle. The group is looking for donations to help play a role in the development of their car. The support that group receives from corporate sponsors and individual donors will allow them to build a safer, lighter, sleeker, and faster car. The group has established a GoFundMe page as another avenue to raise funds. To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/8c728dgg. As of Feb. 22, the group has only raised $150.

“We’re working with the vice principal and outreach coordinator to reach out to big businesses in the area for funding,” Cevik said. “Because we’re a STEM school, we want to partner with businesses in the energy field. That will build relationships with them and benefits our students in the future, as well.”