Saginaw Students Build Solar Car, Race Across Nation

Students at Saginaw STEM Academy opened their Innovation Lab doors Monday to show off something special: a solar-powered car they built from scratch and drove across the country.

The solar car has become more than just a classroom project. These high schoolers have taken their creation to Texas Motor Speedway for national competitions against other schools and driven it all the way to Michigan Technological University in the state's Upper Peninsula.

"We just want to highlight the students," said Dante Davis, founder and executive director of Saginaw STEM. "I want to make sure that we talk to the students, ask them questions, ask them what they've been doing, and they're so excited to share."

The student-led workshop gave visitors a firsthand look at three years of engineering work. Students explained their own projects, walking guests through the challenges they solved and the skills they learned along the way.

The solar car expeditions have taken these young engineers far beyond Saginaw, Michigan. Last summer, they brought their vehicle to Belle Isle, turning heads and proving that students from their community can compete on any stage.

The Ripple Effect

The impact goes beyond the current students tinkering in the lab today. Davis shared stories of former Saginaw STEM students who have moved on to college, carrying their hands-on engineering experience into higher education.

The program shows what happens when young people get real tools, real challenges, and real support. These aren't just students learning about solar energy from a textbook. They're building actual vehicles, troubleshooting real problems, and competing against teams from across the country.

The workshop format put students front and center, letting them own their accomplishments. Visitors didn't hear about the projects from teachers or administrators. They heard directly from the young engineers who designed, built, and tested every component.

For these students, the solar car represents possibility. It's proof that they can create something meaningful, tackle complex problems, and hold their own in national competitions. Every mile driven is a reminder that their skills and knowledge can take them anywhere they want to go.