Franklin College is getting a boost for electric vehicle education.
The college has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Ball Venture Fund to teach sustainable energy through electric vehicles. The college will purchase electric Go-Karts that will be incorporated into physics coursework during a January intensive course at the college, a series of programs for middle and high school students, and trainings for K-12 STEM teachers throughout Indiana, according to the college.
“The Sustainable Energy Education through Electric Vehicles project will inspire the next generation of innovators and problem solvers in the growing sector of clean energy,” Arbin Thapaliya, associate professor and chair of the chemistry and physics department, said in a statement on the grant. “It will create opportunities for hands-on learning through the building, testing and driving of a road-ready electric Go-Kart.”
Thapaliya will develop and oversee the project, which he said will provide hands-on learning about the electrification of vehicles, associated battery technology, solar power and solar charging stations. By combining solar energy and electric vehicle education with an emphasis on problem-solving and creativity, the curriculum will teach students how to innovate for a more sustainable future and prepare them to enter employment sectors that are fast growing, according to the college.
Franklin College’s project was one of five selected to receive funding from the Ball Venture Fund competition this year. The college also received the maximum grant award for their EV education project.
The competition is sponsored by the Ball Brothers Foundation of Muncie, which is administered by Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI). The ICI program provides seed money for innovative start-up programs at ICI member institutions. Among the considerations for the award are the level of innovation, risk-taking, sustainability, community impact, and collaboration, according to ICI.
