Downtown Denver in 26 Minutes? see page 2
Tidbits From Behind the Dias see page 7
Sustainability Comes To Wheat Ridge see page 10
Gazette NEIGHBORHOOD
Wheat Ridge | Edgewater | MARCH 17–APRIL 16, 2015
WRHS Students Create Their Own Competition Eco-car By Cyndy Beal
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hat’s it like to build a car from scratch? Pretty cool actually. A class of Wheat Ridge High School students are in the final stages of building a carbon-fiber based and hydrogen-cell powered eco-car to participate in the annual Shell Eco-marathon Americas, held April 9-12 in Detroit. The Shell Eco-marathon Americas challenges student teams to design, build and ultimately test their energy-efficient vehicles. There are several different categories on how a car is judged. This April more than 1,000 students are expected to participate on the streets of Detroit. There are additional Shell Eco-marathons in Europe and Asia. This is the first time WRHS has participated. The WRHS class team of 16 students is competing in the hydrogen fuel cell prototype series, which is based primarily on fuel efficiency. The vehicles that go the greatest distance, using the least amount of energy, are the winners. In past years, some vehicles have exceeded 3,500 miles per gallon of fuel, per the Shell Eco-marathon website. WRHS plans to begin testing their vehicle for safety and general roadworthiness through March. Test drives will take place in
the school parking lot, in the loop near the main entrance. The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) class is open to all WRHS students, from freshman to seniors, who are interested in engineering. The class has no prerequisite, so the students come from a variety of backgrounds. For some of the students, this is their first engineering experience. The students in this yearlong class, starting in August 2014, have designed and built the eco-car on their own, representing some impressive collective brain power, with only guidance from the four advisors and three consultants. The educational degrees and professional experience of the advisors and consultants represent some of the best engineering talent available locally and nationally, with graduates of University of Colorado-Denver (UCD) and the School of Mines in the mix. “These are high-end engineers,” said Charles Sprague WRHS STEM/Engineering teacher and Girls Tennis Team Coach. From the car’s initial inception to the partnership with UCD, the concept has been to give the students a hands-on experience. “Yeah you can design it, but then you have to build it,” said Sprague. The WRHS STEM/Engineering program entered into a three-year partnership with
A TALENTED TEAM OF WRHS STUDENTS AND ADVISORS pose behind a portion of the car body from the hydrogen powered eco-car they are building for the annual Shell Eco-marathon in Detroit from April 9th to 12th. This is the first time WRHS has participated. PHOTO BY TIM BERLAND UCD to facilitate these types of projects for the students. This type is generally reserved for college seniors. UCD competed in the marathon last year, and its car was used as an example for the students, and its hydrogen fuel cell is being used in the WRHS car. The vehicle and its driver will travel a circuit on the streets of Detroit. The Detroit Drivers – Nicole Ortega and Andrew Miller – are both juniors who have their drivers’
licenses. Measurements were taken of both drivers for a custom fit in the car. “It was cool to see all the drafting, and go from the computer to real life,” said Ortega, the primary driver. Ortega is the leader for the mechanical team. The four teams in the class are divided by engineering specialty: electrical, mechanical, manufacturing and design. Continued on page 12
Wheat Ridge High School Fires Up Shades of Blue Flight Program By Cyndy Beal
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retty much everyone dreams of flying, but some of us make it a reality. Through a new program Wheat Ridge High School (WRHS) students are getting their chance to explore their own dreams of flight. Every Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to noon for nine weeks, 18 WRHS students are attending an aviation ground school through Shades of Blue. Shades of Blue, started 15 years ago, is
a non-profit educational organization that mentors, tutors, counsels, and arranges internship and employment referrals for young people who want to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers, per their website. The aviation ground school, which runs through April, provides students with a foundation and support system for STEM-related pursuits. The course is an introduction and general overview of aviation. Some of the highlights include the educational and skill sets required, as
SHADES OF BLUE FOUNDER CAPTAIN WILLIE DANIELS interviews WRHS high school STEM students while Wheat Ridge Community Foundation board member Arthur Bushell looks on. The non-profit organization recently launched a 9-week aviation ground school for WRHS students. PHOTO BY ARMAND GUERRERO
well as hands-on experiences. In addition, discussion about personality and character traits needed for careers in aviation, aerospace and engineering are explored. As part of the general overview, the class visited the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver (at the former Lowry Air Force Base). Shades of Blue has an ongoing relationship with the museum. The aviation ground school in Wheat Ridge, is the result of combined relationship through Shades of Blue, WRHS and the Wheat Ridge Community Foundation (WRCF). It’s the first time this class has been offered in a Jefferson County school. WRCF offers several scholarships and fosters many relationships, with the mission of enhancing the community through a range of efforts, including education. The connection between the two groups is the brainchild of Arthur Bushell, a board member for both Shades of Blue and WRCF. He is a WRHS graduate and a former pilot. “Although nine weeks isn’t long enough for a full ground school,” said Bushell, it’s about “getting them to think” and to create a “flight plan for life.” Traditional ground school is a fundamental part of any pilot training program. Although not tracked by the number of hours spent, it’s crucial before a student begins the process of logging hundreds of hours of flight time needed to obtain a license and become an experienced pilot. A person can obtain a student license as early as 16. The classes are led by professionals and
qualified instructors, giving the students direct contact with industry leaders. Shades of Blue has sponsorships from industry giants like Jeppesen, Lockheed Martin and United Airlines. Their second class was taught by instructors from Redstone College and focused on aircraft mechanics. Students were introduced to navigation and the Garmin 1000 GPS system. At the last class, the graduates will have some air time with a free introductory flight through the Young Eagles Program. It’s a time for them to “utilize the skills they’ve learned,” said Willie Daniels, president and founder of Shades of Blue. Daniels is a commercial pilot and has flown for United Airlines for 28 years. He started Shades of Blue in 1999 to help “create the future workforce.” He made the connection in his mind, after watching two separate newscasts regarding the nation’s demand for qualified persons in both aviation and aerospace, and the present and projected shortages in the years to come. He said he wants to “make our kids part of the solution.” “Employment in occupations related to STEM … is projected to grow to more than 9 million between 2012 and 2022. That’s an increase of about one million jobs over 2012 employment levels,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (April 2014). The numbers for pilots and airplane mechanics is expected to rise in the next Continued on page 12