The annual Solar Design Competition is a STEM outreach activity that provides K-12 students an opportunity to learn about solar energy and how it helps to power our world.
Who hasn’t heard Heidi Klum’s catch phrase, “…you’re either in, or you’re out”? While fashion design can be a VERY competitive field, engineering design can be equally intense. This year we are flipping the ASSET Initiative Solar Design Competition on its head to bring you our spin on Project Runway – Tech Edition. This is one EAST competition you won’t want to miss!
Each team will submit designs for building a solar-powered device that can benefit the community and potentially be launched as a new commercial product. Teams MUST submit 3D-model designs using software applications like Google Sketch Up or AutoCAD. A panel of judges will review all of the designs submitted and select the top three as the competition semi-finalists.
Two EAST students from each semi-finalist team will receive a travel stipend to attend the 2015 EAST Conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and will have one day to build their designs, with a little help from our onsite engineers, in our very own workshop.
So, if you want to earn your seat at Conference and have fun doing it, put on your thinking caps, jump on the web and start researching the community problem that you are going to fix with your new solar-powered device. In the words of Tim Gunn, “Designers, it’s up to you to make it work”!
For the full list of contest rules and to see past ASSET Initiative Solar Design Competition winners, check out www.facebook.com/ArkSolarDesign or email Marta.Collier@Arkansas.gov. Applications for this competition will be due on October 31, 2014.
The Arkansas ASSET Initiative is a National Science Foundation EPSCoR project administered by the Arkansas Science & Technology Authority. The annual Solar Design Competition is an outreach activity that provides K-12 students an opportunity to learn about solar energy and how it helps to power our world. For more information on the ASSET Initiative visit www.arepscor.org or email Marta.Collier@Arkansas.gov.
ASSET Initiative 2015 Solar Design Competition Rules
Competition Description:
• Design a functional, model project and explain how the design can benefit a community and is solar powered.
• BLENDER or similar computer program must be used for the design element of this competition.
• Incorporation of recycled and/or renewable materials in the design phase is strongly encouraged.
• The top three team designs will win a spot at Conference to construct their models during the 2015 EAST Conference.
Please complete the following application in full and email it as an attachment (subject line should be the competition name) to Marta.Collier@Arkansas.gov by Friday, October 31, 2014.
I. Submission / Contact Information
• Project Title:
• School Name:
• Facilitator’s Name:
• Facilitator’s Email:
• Lead Student Name:
• Lead Student Email:
• Names & Grades of All Project Team Members:
II. Design Requirements
• List the program (BLENDER or equivalent) used in the project.
• List any other software used in the project
III. Project Summary and Community Benefit
Please provide a complete project summary incorporating these elements:
• The situation which the project addresses – what you are trying to do?
• Who in the community will benefit from this project and to what degree?
• The procedures followed to explore the situation or solve the problem (including general project operation, data gathering, and analyses conducted).
• What is next for this project?
• Any other important information about the project or procedures.
IV. Supporting Documentation & Images
Submit documentation and visual evidence to support your summary of how the application was used (experiments, functional analysis, images, screenshots, etc.). Graphics should be in PDF, PNG, TIF, or JPG format, and should be attached to your email along with this application.
V. PowerPoint Slide
Submit one PowerPoint Slide that will be used to identify the team finalists on stage during the Opening Plenary at Conference. Include the following items:
• Submission title
• Team name and group picture
• School name, city and state
• Brief description of the submission (large enough print so that it is easy to read) or an image or screenshot
Final Check
Creating a “complete picture” with relevant details betters your chances to be a finalist in the application showcase. Before you submit your entry, double-check to be sure you have all five components: submission/contact information, software used, project summary, supporting documentation & images, and PowerPoint slide. Late entries or entries lacking a component will not be considered for this competition. Good luck!