This past Friday, members of the local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter crowded into the campus C parking lot to watch a display put on by our very own Formula SAE team.
Members of the team showed off their new car to the kids in attendance, gave a brief talk on some of the basic science and engineering principles that went into the car, and then took the car out for a test spin around the lot. They demonstrated the three events that make up their major competition; acceleration, breaking and driving around a SAE-style racetrack.
Kids of all ages sat at the sidelines in awe of the vehicle’s roaring engine and tight turns. In partnership with RIM, one of their major sponsors, the SAE team participates in outreach programs with elementary and middle schools in the local area, working to get kids interested in areas of technology and science.
Over the past several years, the team has given numerous talks at local schools, and has participated in workshops hosted by RIM that gives teachers additional tools and ideas to use in the classroom to encourage interest in these fields.
Friday’s event was the team’s first with the local Big Brothers Big Sisters group, and it was a hit. The event was a conclusion to the local chapter’s annual daylong picnic, and even after a day of activities the kids were still extremely excited to see the car and watch it drive around the track. It was a fun afternoon watching one a UW team give back not only to the community, but a few potential future team members as well.
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