By Emma Bouthillette 

Staff Writer

With a little ingenuity, teamwork and a few guidelines, students at the Middle School of the Kennebunks created solar powered cars that they raced under blue skies May 22. 

The fastest cars expected to attend the Maine Junior Solar Sprint Championships at the Owls Head Transportation Museum near Rockland May 30.

Sixth grade students were given a solar panel and a motor and worked in teams of two to four to fashion the chassis, wheels and transmission, said Director of Maine Energy Education Program Peter Zack. He said this is the 15^th year for program in Maine and students in Kennebunk have been involved each year.

Science teacher Leona Blatt said her students spent nearly three weeks working on design aspects of the car, applying the idea of renewable energy and working through team compromises. 

Heather Kidwell, Andrea Dest, Regan Blanchard and Kate Doody made up team “M&M,” with the small candies glued to the back of the car.

“We were thinking of different ideas and we picked something we all liked. We all like M&M’s,” Dest said. 

The car, with melting M&M’s, made it into the final five, but did not win with top speed. The “Night Hawk” came in first, beating out 44 other cars. While speed was one criteria to qualify for the state championships, Zack said students were also judged on design and technical merit. 

Efficiency Maine Program Coordinator Joy Adamson said the Maine Junior Solar Sprint is just one of many educational programs the organizations sponsors as a way to educate Maine students about renewable resources.

“Teachers have told us the sprint is a terrific way for their students to learn all about renewable energy options in a very hands on manner,” she said. 

Staff writer Emma Bouthillette can be reached at 282-4337 ext. 237.