New York – June 2018.
Edge Factor’s latest film, Charging Up is inspiring students to pursue real world experiences and training in Career and Technical Education programs across North America. Create a free Edge Factor membership today to watch this film.
Charging Up tells the story of how one CTE manufacturing program forever changed the lives of Tyler Brown and his family. For Tyler, his road to success has been littered with obstacles and nothing has come easily. After Hurricane Ike touched down in Galveston, Texas the Brown family were hit with unemployment and financial struggles.
But when faced with these obstacles, Tyler, a young African American man chose to learned that if he wanted to succeed he would have to work hard. When his family moved from Texas to New York, Tyler enrolled in the Ulster Boces CTE program. There he had the opportunity of a lifetime… The chance to build a car that would run on solar power. Under the watchful eye and mentorship of his CTE teacher Mark Harris, Tyler and a team of students named Team Volt acquired the technical skills needed to complete this immense project.
Using machines and software from industry leaders such as Mastercam, Haas Automation, and Lincoln Electric, Tyler and Team Volt gained hands-on experience in CAD/CAM, CNC Machining, and welding. Understanding that real-world experience also means facing real-world problems, Mark also instilled in Team Volt the soft skills that he knew would be required for this project to succeed; resilience, teamwork, patience, and problem-solving.
After spending a year building their car from scratch, Tyler and team Volt raced from Texas to Minnesota. Once again, the road they traveled would not be an easy one. As the rain poured down on the car they had built, team Volt had no choice but to wait for the sun to recharge the car’s battery. Tyler and his team pushed through heat and exhaustion to prove that even when things are not going as planned, hard work and relying on each other will carve a path through the obstacles ahead. Using their heads and hands, Tyler and his team built much more than a Solar car. They built the foundation for their future.
Educators and business leaders are using this film and all of the accompany career and STEAM content produced by Edge Factor to impact students and reach parents in classrooms, homes and at events through the Edge Factor memberships. For more information visit our website or contact us at info@edgefactor.com.
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