WHAT:
The seventh-annual EnergyWhiz Olympics is a series of day-long activities
dedicated to students with an interest in alternative fuels. It is composed
of the Junior Solar Sprint, Hydrogen Sprint, Energy Innovations and the new
Bright House Solar Energy Cook-off.

  
The Junior Solar Sprint is a competition that challenges middle school
    students to design, build and race model solar cars. Awards are given
    based on vehicle design, quality of craftsmanship, innovation and vehicle
    speed.
  
  
The Hydrogen Sprint is a high school competition that provides opportunities
    for students to explore hydrogen power with a hands-on design component
    and a presentation.
  
  
The Energy Innovations program is a full-scale solar electric design
    and marketing challenge for middle and high school students. Each participating
    team designs and constructs a product or artistic work fully powered
    by photovoltaics (PV), also called solar electric cells. Teams also create
    marketing pieces, such as brochures, fliers, and posters, to accompany
    their products.
  
  
The Bright House Solar Energy Cook-Off challenges students, in grades
    4th - 8th, to design and build solar cookers, and to also cook a recipe
    of their own creation using the power of the sun.  In Top Chef-style,
    each dish will be judged by a panel of experts based on taste, ingredients
    and creativity. 
  

WHY: 
These hands-on renewable energy competitions - for elementary, middle and
high school students - expose students to alternative energy fuel sources,
and encourage scientific know-how, creative thinking, experimentation and
teamwork.


WHO: 
More than 650 elementary, middle, and high school Florida students - from
Tallahassee to Miami and everywhere in between - will participate in the
EnergyWhiz Olympics.
Number of Teams in Each Competition -
Junior Solar Sprint:  60
Hydrogen Sprint:  13
Energy Innovations:  12
Solar Cook-off:  46


WHEN:   
Saturday, May 9 starting at 9 a.m.  
9:00 a.m.     Welcome - Auditorium
              Dr. James Fenton, Director, Florida Solar Energy Center 
9:30 a.m.     Technical Judging Begins - Junior Solar Sprint, Hydrogen Sprint
               Hydrogen Sprint Presentations
               Energy Innovations Displays Open to Public
               Solar Energy Cook-Off - Design Judging
               Solar Cookers - Displays Open to Public

11:30 a.m.   Energy Innovations Judging - Middle School Teams
12 noon       Energy Innovations Judging - High School Teams
              Junior Solar Sprint Race Begins (Track Area 1)      

1:00 p.m.     Hydrogen Sprint Race Begins (Track Area 2)            
2:00 p.m.     Solar Energy Cook-Off - Recipe Judging (Auditorium)
3:30 p.m.    Awards Ceremony (Auditorium)


WHERE: 
Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, FL 32922
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 
For more information on these exciting educational events, visit 
http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/education/k-12/events/ewhiz_olympics.htm
or view a video about the EnergyWhiz Olympics at http://vimeo.com/982597. 


Contact Susan Schleith, FSEC Education Coordinator, at 321-638-1017 or 
Susan@fsec.ucf.edu.


The Florida Solar Energy Center, a research institute of the University of
Central Florida, is the largest and most active state-supported energy research
institute in the country. Current divisions and their research activities
include Advanced Energy Research: alternative transportation systems, hydrogen
fuel and fuel cells; Buildings Research: energy-efficient buildings; and
Solar Energy: solar water and pool heating and solar electric and distributed
generation systems. For more information about the center, visit 
www.floridaenergycenter.org or call the FSEC Public Affairs Office at 321-638-1015.