Georgia Magazine - July 2023 - 22

Ready to roll! Some of the
36 electric cars in the Diverse
Power Grand Prix are on
display before this year's
race.
manager with Diverse Power.
" This year's national event in
May was no different, with six
of the 50 teams coming from
our area. "
Teams from Troup
County have participated at
the national level for the last
five years; nine teams have
placed in the championships.
The Greenpower USA
private high schools and middle grades in hands-on learning and provide
a platform to build teamwork and an appreciation for real-life applications
for science and mathematics, " says Garrett Sisk, director of the STEAM
division of the Magnolia Soap Box Derby. " Through grants, sponsors and
other funding, schools purchased their own kit cars, and although we don't
send winners to the national championship in Akron, we still follow the
regulations from the All-American Soap Box Derby organization and its
Super Stock car division.
" The goal is to help students prepare for the real world and a future
by giving them early exposure and experience in practical applications of
technology, science, math and physics. It makes learning much more fun. "
This year's event took place on April 8 in the College Hill Corridor
neighborhood of Macon, using the gently sloping Magnolia Street as the
racetrack. Eleven teams from area schools participated, racing one at a time
against the clock.
One of the most popular events is the strictly-for-fun Big Wheel Race
for kids.
" It's amazing to see these little kids navigate the course in groups of
five on modified Big Wheels, " Sisk says. " It gives them a taste of what's in
store as they progress through their education and possibly have a chance
to compete in a real soap-box car when they're older. "
Diverse Power Grand Prix, LaGrange
In April, the Diverse Power Grand Prix, which is sponsored by the
LaGrange-based electric cooperative, brought together 36 teams of
young people from across the country to earn a chance to compete in the
Greenpower USA Electric Car Challenge that was held in early May in
Talladega, Ala.
By building their own electric cars from kits supplied by Greenpower
USA, students learn about the basics of electricity, drive systems, suspension,
brakes, aerodynamics and teamwork. Their immediate goal of
participating in Greenpower USA races in Georgia leads to competing
against their peers from Greenpower USA programs nationwide.
" Our event is one of the largest in the nation, and Troup County and
LaGrange schools always send teams to the national Greenpower
championships in Talladega, " says Ken Pope, residential services marketing
22 Georgia Magazine July 2023
program promotes hands-on STEAM learning for
students in grades four through 12 through a school
curriculum that teaches team-building, presentation
skills and problem-solving. The event includes team
presentations in addition to on-track, head-to-head
racing.
" By creating a real-world scenario in the form
of electric-car building and racing, students learn
invaluable skills that can serve them well for the rest
of their lives, " Pope says. " It keeps them engaged and
provides a good foundation for future employment
in the ever-growing field of technology. "
Pope's grandson, Hayden Pope, 15, has
competed for four years in the Diverse Power Grand
Prix, and each year his team from Troup County
High School in LaGrange has gone to the
Greenpower USA nationals. His team is currently
ranked fourth in the nation in its division.
" Each year I learn more about figuring out how
to fix what might go wrong, improve my presentation
skills and work with my teammates, " Hayden Pope
says. " This year I was so glad we won the pit-crew
challenge, but, best of all, I got to drive. "
Ken Pope sums it up: " The Greenpower
program is not just a race. Everything the student
learns goes way beyond coming in first. "
Pamela A. Keene is a freelance writer living in
Flowery Branch.
For more information
* Southeast Georgia Soap Box Derby, (912) 293-7960.
bit.ly/segasbderby
* Magnolia Soap Box Derby, (478) 227-6714.
magnoliaderby.com
* Diverse Power Grand Prix, (706) 881-3906.
bit.ly/dpgrandprix
KEVIN ECKLEBERRY / BEETV SPORTS
http://bit.ly/segasbderby http://www.magnoliaderby.com http://bit.ly/dpgrandprix
Georgia Magazine - July 2023

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