This week, the auto shop at Ralph R. McKee High School in St. George is a hive of activity: a half-built solar car, soldering irons in hand, and a team of Staten Island teenagers prepping for a 1,000-mile road trip south. The Seagull Solar team—14 students from McKee and Staten Island Tech, plus two teachers—are putting the finishing touches on their custom-built car before shipping it to Texas for the Solar Car Challenge in July.

Team captain Jalen Rivera, 17, spent Friday afternoon in coveralls, running diagnostics. “We’re wiring up the last of the panels this weekend,” he said, as sunlight streamed through the open garage doors. “We’ve been working after school and on Saturdays since February.”

The Solar Car Challenge, hosted at the Texas Motor Speedway outside Dallas, draws high school teams from across the country. Staten Island’s Seagull Solar is the city’s only entry this summer. Their vehicle—a gleaming aluminum frame topped with 300 watts of photovoltaic cells—will compete in a four-day endurance race alongside teams from Houston, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.

Staten Island Technical physics teacher Anna Papadopoulos, who co-advises the team, says the students have handled everything from CAD design to ordering parts from a Sunset Park warehouse. “The hands-on skills they’re building are huge. And they’re obsessed with squeezing every mile out of sunlight,” she said.

The team is holding a final test run at the McKee parking lot on Victory Boulevard next Saturday at noon, open to the public. By mid-June, Seagull Solar’s car will be crated up and trucked to Texas. “We want to show what Staten Island kids can do,” Rivera said.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Seagull Solar team from Staten Island building?

The Seagull Solar team is building a custom solar-powered car with a 300-watt photovoltaic array.

Which schools are represented on the Seagull Solar team?

The team includes students from Ralph R. McKee High School and Staten Island Technical High School.

What competition is the Staten Island Seagull Solar team entering?

They are entering the Solar Car Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway outside Dallas in July.

When and where is the team’s final test run before the race?

The final test run is at the McKee parking lot on Victory Boulevard next Saturday at noon.

Who are the advisors for the Seagull Solar team?

The team is co-advised by two teachers, including Staten Island Technical physics teacher Anna Papadopoulos.

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