Rialto High School placed first in workmanship for their Lightning McQueen-inspired boat and third overall at the 12th annual Inland Solar Challenge (ISC). West Valley Water District (WVWD) sponsored Rialto High School for the challenge, which took place over three days at Yucaipa Regional Park.
The Inland Solar Challenge is an educational event where local high students from the Inland Empire build 16-foot boats equipped with solar-powered technology and compete against each other in several races and competitions. The event highlights career and educational opportunities in the renewable energy space while emphasizing sustainability.
“These students have dedicated an impressive amount of time to work together as a team while building and operating these boats” stated President Greg Young, “West Valley Water District has been a proud founding sponsor of ISC and Rialto High School and looks forward to participating in such a great event every year.”
At the event, the high school teams compete in an endurance, slalom, and sprint race where they are assigned time-based point values. In the months prior, teams prepare two technical reports on boat design and a Public Service Announcement (PSA) on water conservation. This year students were asked to create a PSA on what their water agencies and communities can do to “reduce demand to ensure water reliability for the future” utilizing Governor Gavin Newsom’s “Water Supply Strategy: Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future.”
“The level of energy and enthusiasm from students, instructors, and their families is incredible,” said Director Kelvin Moore. “This is a fantastic educational program for our local high school students that will hopefully lead them to a career in the water industry.”
Every year, the event is funded through sponsorships from local companies and water agencies. To learn more about the ISC or event sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.inlandsolarchallange.com or contact Mary Jo Hartley, ISC Chair at (909) 875-1804.