L’École en course had all it took to be appealing. The project not only thrilled the elementary students for whom it was intended, it also caught the attention of the media. The essence of the project was to set up teams of students in Mechanical Engineering who were to be responsible for sponsoring students from the participating elementary schools who in turn were to assist them in designing and building a vehicle to compete in the Quebec Winter Carnival soapbox derby. The difficulty for the mechanical engineering students was twofold: they had to contribute to developing a workable prototype and integrate a maximum of ideas from the 10- and 11-year-old students. Though there are few scientific projects which allow a direct elementary-university collaboration favouring a transfer of knowledge, this one soon generated tangible results. In fact, several schools have already shown an interest in participating in the project’s next edition in 2002.
For more information >>>

Minds and ideas jostle and intertwine at the Folle course informatique, a computer-programming competition which will be in its seventh edition this fall. Formerly reserved for students at the Université de Sherbrooke where the project was founded, it now attracts over 300 participants from other establishments in Quebec, the United states and even France. A unique type of challenge, the Folle course informatique puts competitors in a situation where resource management becomes a major constraint and compromise is an integral part of success. During this rally, which lasts a maximum of eight hours, participating teams must resolve ten different problems and, as the race does not take place in one location, all that is needed to take part is a computer and an Internet connection. The event, which it is hoped will become world-wide, requires at least nine months to prepare.
For more information >>>

We’ve not heard the last of Esteban! This convincing ambassador for solar energy, on a clear and sunny day, can reach a maximum speed of 125km/h and climb the steepest of slopes. The solar car, designed by the Société technique du véhicule solaire at the École Polytechnique de Montréal, has participated in several inter-university races and will tackle the World Solar Challenge in Australia this fall. The construction of Esteban, undertaken by some fifty students with a craving for excellence and a desire to create the best car possible, began in December 1999 and continued in successive stages until last April. Its builders want it to be more than a simple race car but also an ecological car symbolizing the harmful effects of fossil fuels.
For more information >>>