March 2018
EnergyLab at Science and Engineering Festival March 2018
As part of our outreach and educational program in Clean Energy, EnergyLab participated in the STEM Festival in March 2018. Thanks to Okra Solar, we had a fabulous game for participants to actively engage with solar power – over 1750 students played or encouraged their friends to roll up their sleeves with solar.
Cambodian Solar Race ... who said girls don't do clean tech?!
How the game worked
Participants had to race each other to connect 'their' solar panel to the charge controller, then to the fan, so the DC power would 'blow' the ball down the chute into the cup. The first person to get the ball in the cup won! We were amazed how many people wanted to participate as soon as they found out it was a race competition – as the countdown got underway, the cheers from their supporters carried across the Olympic stadium! Each of the 2 people who managed to play the game and successfully connect the fan to operate, received a "Good Solar" bracelet kindly donated by SNV.
Who played the game?
The game engaged more than 1750 students from a variety of age groups from high school students to university students. Women were actively encouraged to participate equally – they often liked the idea of one boy one girl racing. And as most of the volunteers running the game were women engineering students from ITC they inspired other women to play. In total, 700 bracelets were given out – which means the game was played 350 times. Each time it was played at least 5 people were either playing or cheering (often 10 or 15 people were cheering!) so that makes at least 1750 got in and involved with solar power.
Activities like these require lots of generous support…
Many thanks to Okra Solar (Oscar, Louis and Afnan) who designed and set up the game, Ms. Chin Ol, who co-ordinated all the ITC volunteers, Ms Thida Kheav, Manager at Solar Green Energy Cambodia (SOGE) who lent us a solar panel and helped co-ordinate some volunteers; SNV Cambodia who gave us the solar bracelet prizes; Kihow Tran who helped us with the booth and the 10 ITC volunteers who helped the students participate.
Participants had to race each other to connect 'their' solar panel to the charge controller, then to the fan, so the DC power would 'blow' the ball down the chute into the cup. The first person to get the ball in the cup won! We were amazed how many people wanted to participate as soon as they found out it was a race competition – as the countdown got underway, the cheers from their supporters carried across the Olympic stadium! Each of the 2 people who managed to play the game and successfully connect the fan to operate, received a "Good Solar" bracelet kindly donated by SNV.
Who played the game?
The game engaged more than 1750 students from a variety of age groups from high school students to university students. Women were actively encouraged to participate equally – they often liked the idea of one boy one girl racing. And as most of the volunteers running the game were women engineering students from ITC they inspired other women to play. In total, 700 bracelets were given out – which means the game was played 350 times. Each time it was played at least 5 people were either playing or cheering (often 10 or 15 people were cheering!) so that makes at least 1750 got in and involved with solar power.
Activities like these require lots of generous support…
Many thanks to Okra Solar (Oscar, Louis and Afnan) who designed and set up the game, Ms. Chin Ol, who co-ordinated all the ITC volunteers, Ms Thida Kheav, Manager at Solar Green Energy Cambodia (SOGE) who lent us a solar panel and helped co-ordinate some volunteers; SNV Cambodia who gave us the solar bracelet prizes; Kihow Tran who helped us with the booth and the 10 ITC volunteers who helped the students participate.