Brooks County High School

BCHS’s Electric Vehicle project wows crowd at initial outing

The Electrathon electric vehicle designed and built by the Engineering & Technology Education program at Brooks County High School was unveiled to a large enthusiastic crowd at the TSA Fall Leadership Conference at Jekyll Island, November 14-16, 2008. According to Don Morgan, BCHS TSA Advisor and E&T instructor, the vehicle was built as a prototype of what, hopefully, will become a statewide TSA event.” This project resulted from a conversation among other teachers from across the state on the subject of a major “capstone” project with which we could demonstrate the knowledge and “real world “skills that our students are learning. When I found this project, fuel prices were beginning to skyrocket and I knew this was the right vehicle to promote alternative fuels as well as a major design and engineering activity.” Ron Barker, Ga. TSA State Advisor and Engineering & Technology Education Program Director commented saying “The E&T students at Brooks County High should be commended for bringing to life a concept that encompasses all phases of our program. These students have learned to build a working prototype of an alternative fuel vehicle combining real world skills with modern technological processes. This project is a good fit as a culminating activity for any Engineering & Technology program in the state.”

Mr. Morgan gave a presentation to approximately 150 students and Advisors promoting the Electrathon vehicle as a project that can be completed in one semester by any school with a minimum of tools and equipment.

BCHS student, Henry Flowers, gave the crowd a demonstration of the performance of the vehicle by completing several laps around the Convention Center parking lot at speed.

BCHS TSA chapter would like to thank the generous people of Brooks County for financial donations that made this project possible including; the Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club, Valdosta Technical College, Langboard, Lee-Pickels Drugs, Southern Pediatrics, State Farm Ins. Agent Sandra Cooper, Colony Bank, Chuck Ramsey and Carter MacDonald. Special thanks to Dave Bearden’s Ag. Mechanics class for the welding and Kenneth Marshall at Deep South Machine for engineering expertise.