Students from three different California High Schools will hit the road and compete in the annual Solar Car Challenge.
The race begins in Fort Worth, Texas and will conclude 1,400 miles later in the city of Palmdale over the span of eight days.
This is the 27th edition of the competition dating back to 1993. The Solar Car Challenge was launched as an education program by former educator Lehman Marks, designed to motivate students to pursue science, engineering and alternative energy.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
“We did some basic statistics on our kids and found that kids who take part in the solar car challenge have a 23% greater chance of entering a profession of a science or engineering when compared to other high school students,” said Marks.
The cars that will be driven across multiple state lines are fully functional solar-powered vehicles engineered by the students -- most of whom can’t legally drive. To compete, team vehicles are required to pass multiple tests and inspections prior to race day to ensure the integrity of the car.
Three California high schools will be competing in the Solar Car Challenge including Pasadena Polytechnic High School with their car dubbed the Sun Fortress. Palo Alto High School and their car nicknamed The Beast and Palmdale High School with their car, Helios Falcons, also are part of the Texas-to-California road trip.
Teams participating in the competition are required to fund and build the entire vehicle.
“We want the kids to learn how to fund their own project. Develop a budget, go out and learn how to shake hands with somebody and say come believe in what we’re doing,” said Marks.
Students will get a chance to showcase their vehicle along the way as they make pit stops in different towns. The vehicles will be on display with participants explaining the science behind them.
Marks explained that while it is enjoyable to see the cars students have built, it’s the learning experience that they get that makes it worthwhile.
“Kids will come back and tell me now after we’ve been doing this for over 30 years and say this changed my life and I use the skills we learned throughout that time in whatever I’m doing today” Marks said.
The race will conclude on July 23 in Palmdale. People can follow live updates and see where each team’s car is on a map in real time on the Solar Car Challenge website beginning on July 16.
