The Junior Solar Sprint is coming this spring, Saturday, May 31, 2025 on the Drexel University campus at 31st and Market Streets.  This exciting annual event is an opportunity for middle school students to put their science and engineering skills and creativity to the test as they show what their model solar cars can do.  In the Junior Solar Sprint students from across the region compete for prizes in:

• Speed

• Technical Merit

• Artistic Merit 

This year we will also have an Open Division for high school students and others who want to demonstrate their solar and engineering skills. Tours of the Drexel Engineering Labs will be given for students,  family and friends during the race event.

Register for the Sprint HERE

The Junior Solar Sprint is a national program, recognized for its excellence in STEM education.  In the process of building their model solar cars, students learn:

Fundamentals of solar photovoltaics (PV), how to convert solar energy into electricityBasic electrical circuitry and wiringBattery storagePhysics of energy transfer: converting solar energy into motion and speedGear ratios, alignment, relationship of wheel size to gear ratio

Middle school students from schools across the Philadelphia area design, build and race their model solar cars. Volunteers from the Philadelphia Solar Energy Association (PSEA) and Drexel University work feverishly to put on this annual high energy event.

The program is now part of a larger SPRINTS solar education program, that includes 5th & 6th grade science curriculum written by PSEA and is available free of charge to schools. PSEA is committed to increasing the understanding and implementation of solar energy in PA, and to improving the quality of STEM education. The partnership with Drexel University brings young students directly in contact with engineers, scientists and educators who act as mentors and guides to young students, to help them explore these fields and career pathways.