- April 29, 2024
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Sarastota homeschoolers Liam Byrne and Dominic Sibilia, both first graders, cheer on the racers.
Photo by Ian SwabyShmulik Keselman, an eighth grader at Pine View School, drives his car with the team Kilometer Killers.
Photo by Ian SwabySarasota Homeschool students Charlotte Huynh, a sixth grader and Charlie Huynh, a first grader, created a Calvin and Hobbes racecar as team Marionetta.
Photo by Ian SwabyKallie McCauley and Markam Tyna, fifth graders at Fruitville Elementary, prepare to race their vehicle as the Carnival Crashers.
Photo by Ian SwabyFourth grader Lucas Downing of team Jokers, fifth grader Iker Reyna of team Jack-in-the-Box and fifth grader Jeromi Olavarria of the team Clownsters, of Wilkinson Elementary, cheer on their vehicles.
Photo by Ian SwabyThe race track provided a carnival scene complete with popcorn, cotton candy, a pool of rubber ducks and more.
Photo by Ian SwabyA car designed by the Street Racers makes a jump. The team was made up of Robert Wagner and William Murchie, first graders at Phillippi Shores Elementary, and Sage Gilliland, a first grader at Bay Haven School of Basics Plus.
Photo by Ian SwabyBrody Scheckner, a fifth grader at Pine View School and Clara Tohumcu, a fourth grader at Pine View School, of the team Cool Kidz.
Photo by Ian SwabyJD Loeffel, a fourth grade homeschooler and Layla Loeffel, a sixth grade homeschooler, prepare to race a vehicle for The Carnival Crushers.
Photo by Ian SwabyNoah Thomas, a sixth grader at Pine View School, gets invested in the competition.
Photo by Ian SwabyAlex Lieberman and David Ma, ninth graders at Pine View School, make cotton candy.
Photo by Ian SwabyThere was a carnival vibe outside Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab on April 6, as decorations like giant popcorn buckets and a Ferris wheel adorned the property.
Yet students were there for more than the atmosphere.
The 9th annual RC Custom Car Open paid off the efforts of over 175 students from 30 Sarasota and Manatee County schools in building cars of their own design using equipment like 3D printers and laser cutters.
“It gives them a lot of problem-solving skills, and some of them were victorious, and some of them learned a lot and what they would do next year as well,” said Meagan Jones, an instructor with Wilkinson Elementary.
The races were also guided by 14 high school student volunteers who contributed more than 1,000 hours to the project.
The event tested the skills of students with both drag races and obstacle track races while also offering classic carnival games and a lineup of local food trucks.
“It was a good way to challenge our abilities," said Grayson Dunk, an eighth grader at Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences. "We learned to work together as a team. We learned to be stronger. We're better as a team than standing alone."
