Dozens of North Texas students will put months of STEM learning to the test this weekend as they race student-built go-karts at Fair Park during the Dallas STEM Youth Excellence Grand Prix.
The event, hosted by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.’s Theta Alpha STEM Academy, will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Court of Honor at Fair Park. The competition will feature students aged 6 to 17 who spent the past five months designing and assembling go-karts, while learning concepts tied to engineering, racing mechanics, and teamwork.
“This year we wanted to teach the kids about internal combustion engines, and what better way to do so than have them build their own go-karts?” said Jose Cabrera, STEM liaison for the Theta Alpha STEM Academy. “The capstone this year is we’re going to actually race them in partnership with Fair Park.”
About 45 students from 27 schools across the Dallas-Fort Worth area are expected to participate, Cabrera said. Students were divided into four race teams and worked alongside volunteers with engineering backgrounds during academy meetings held on two to three Saturdays each month.
Cabrera said the students largely led the project themselves, with team captains overseeing pit crews and race preparation.
“We wanted to make sure that economic development is the lead cause of the STEM Academy,” Cabrera said. “Understanding how engines work, understanding how to work on them, is something that we believe, even if they choose to pick a trade, this is the beginning.”
During the race, adults will drive the go-karts while students ride as passengers and assist with pit crew operations. The races will take place on a track stretching slightly longer than a quarter mile in front of the Hall of State.
Organizers said safety measures include barricaded race lanes, regulated go-karts with a maximum speed of 25 mph, emergency kill switches, and roll cages.
The academy program is free for students and provides meals at no cost. Cabrera said scholarships also will be awarded to participants, ranging from $100 to $200 for elementary and middle school students and $1,000 for graduating seniors.
Awards will be presented on the steps of the Hall of State following the races. Organizers will also offer information for families interested in registering students for future STEM Academy programs.
