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Palmer Trinity School’s (PTS) Solar Kart Team has been making significant progress in its efforts to complete a vehicle in time to race in Florida Gulf Coast University’s SunChase competition in April 2026. With the highest student turnout since the program’s launch last year, eight participants including four new members, the team continues to work through intricate electrical challenges with creativity and persistence, gaining practical hands-on and collaborative problem-solving experience.
“Our students are learning far more than engineering,” said Jesse de Vera, Computer Science faculty member and team advisor. “They’re gaining experience in design thinking, collaboration and problem-solving—skills that will serve them beyond the classroom.”
The Solar Kart Team, part of Palmer Trinity’s STEAM Program and Solar Car Club, is working closely with mentors to refine the wiring system of the kart and to identify materials needed to complete the electrical build. Its next goal is to create a mockup of the system outside of the vehicle that will help students visualize how each component functions before final installation.
The team’s commitment, though, extends beyond this single project. Many of its members are involved in other STEM initiatives on campus, including a student-led project to design and build a hydraulic hand. Recently, eighth-grade science students visited the workshop to learn about solar engineering and to build their own solar-powered cars to race in class—an engaging way to explore renewable energy and engineering principles through peer-led learning.
About Palmer Trinity School:
Palmer Trinity School—a coeducational, Episcopal day school—is dedicated to promoting academic excellence that integrates knowledge, compassion, global citizenship, and social responsibility. Providing a supportive environment, Palmer Trinity School serves students from a broad range of socio-economic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds in grades 6-12. For more information about the school, visit www.palmertrinity.org. To follow Palmer Trinity School on Facebook, click here.
