Perry Hall Students Build Electric Car

PERRY HALL, Md. (WJZ) -- Teachers know that the fastest way to get kids interested in a topic is to ask them to solve a hands-on problem.

Mike Schuh reports the problem Perry Hall High School students faced had four wheels and a battery.

Camryn Grindle is buckled up and strapped in to the Pride of Perry Hall. Grindle was part of a team of eight that ran an electric car in a regional race. It wasn't a speed contest, but endurance: how far could you go on a single battery charge?

Last year, Perry Hall did pretty well. They won it all and became the state champions.

"We've had success because, to be honest with you, students planned and they worked hard," said Bob Catonzaro, technology education teacher.

As a kid, rising senior Hailey Fink wanted to be an inventor. She learned the adult term for that would be "engineer."

"In any field of engineering, there is a big element of teamwork, so it really helps me to learn how to operate with a team," she said.

She worked on the electronics. Weston Smith, the mechanic, learned from overcoming problems.

"'Cause it's more the students doing our own thing and trying to figure out problems ourselves," Smith said.

They solved a lot of problems. Of the 21 schools -- some with multiple cars -- only one would travel the farthest.

Perry Hall won last year, and they won this year, too! The kids put in the time and became a team.

"It was an after school program. They spent a lot of afternoons out on the track. Some days were cold, some days were wet and some days were rainy," said Catonzaro.

Hailey's dad -- an electrical engineer -- Glenn Fink says it's the inevitable failures that bring success.

"It's great for her to get that exposure, and also, you've got to know how to fail and know how to learn from your mistakes and move on. That's what engineering is really," he said.

Next year, the students plan to build and run a second car.

This is the second time Principal Andrew Last brought the electric car challenge to a high school. Four years ago, when he was at Hereford High School, his students there won a similar national competition.