FRANKLIN, Ind. – Franklin College was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the Ball Venture Fund to teach sustainable energy through electric vehicles. The college will purchase electric Go-Karts and incorporate them into physics coursework during programs for middle and high school students, and training for K-12 STEM teachers.
“The Sustainable Energy Education through Electric Vehicles project will inspire the next generation of innovators and problem solvers in the growing sector of clean energy,” said Arbin Thapaliya, Ph.D., associate professor and chemistry and physics department chair.
Thapaliya, who will develop and oversee the project, said it will provide hands-on learning about the electrification of vehicles, associated battery technology, solar power, and solar charging stations. By combining solar energy and electric vehicle education with an emphasis on problem-solving and creativity, the curriculum will teach students how to innovate for a more sustainable future and prepare them to enter employment sectors, which are growing faster than the average occupation.
The Ball Venture Fund competition, sponsored by the Ball Brothers Foundation of Muncie, is administered by the Independent Colleges of Indiana group.
