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Posted: 6/17/19

TAMIU Dusty's Junior University Summer Camp Students Present Soap Box Derby Race Thursday

 

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This summer, 5th and 6th grade elementary school students participating in Texas A&M International University's (TAMIU) Dusty’s Junior University Summer Camp Soap Box Derby Class have been working with TAMIU engineering student mentors to build derby cars as part of TAMIU Dusty’s Junior University Summer Camp Soap Box Derby Class.

The students will showcase their derby car designs and compete in a friendly challenge Thursday, June 27 at 2:30 p.m. at the TAMIU Rec Center Parking Lot, located in the back of the Rec Center. The event is free and open to the public.

The All-American Soap Box Derby is a youth soap box car racing program that has been run in the United States since 1934. World championship finals take place each year in Akron Ohio. Cars competing in this and related events are unpowered, relying completely upon gravity to move.

Michelle Begwin, TAMIU Continuing Education administrative associate, said Derby Class participants work with TAMIU’s award winning DustyMOTOR engineering student group and their advisor, Assistant Professor of Engineering Dr. Tariq Tashtoush, for four weeks to design their race cars by using basic materials.

“The camp participants have been working hard at their projects and are excited to present them in a friendly challenge that we are offering for the first time ,” she said, “We encourage everyone to come and watch this fun race.”

In the Soap Box Derby Class, students experience hands-on STEM concepts such as kinetic and potential energy as they build their own soap box derby cars, Begwin said.

“Three model cars will be built and two will go home with the students,” she said, “Students will get to experience a part of popular history that is soap box derby racing.”

Derby sponsors are Family Chevrolet, Powell Watson and Sames Auto Group, Begwin said.

For more information, please contact Begwin at 956.326.2837, email michelle.begwin@tamiu or visit offices located in Student Center, room 118.

University office hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

For more on the University’s story, visit tamiu.edu or dedicated TAMIU social media sites on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

 Soap Box Derby

 Students in the Soap Box Derby Class design their derby racing cars.