High school students throughout Arizona -- from the White Mountains to Tombstone -- are revving up for Racing the Sun in Tucson on April 25, sponsored by SARSEF. They’ll compete at the Musselman Honda Circuit with solar-powered go-karts they created themselves. Like all SARSEF programs, the event transcends traditional gender and ethnic boundaries in STEM.

While the karts are powered by the sun, the program is fueled by the generosity of lead sponsors -- the University of Arizona College of Engineering and Caterpillar Inc. -- and other supporters.

“The College of Engineering is committed to providing the best possible education to our students. They represent the future of engineering and technology,” said David W. Hahn, the College of Engineering’s Craig M. Berge Dean. “Instilling a passion for these fields starts early, and hands-on learning is one of the best ways to fuel that enthusiasm in young people. Partnering with Racing the Sun is an excellent opportunity for the college and companies like Caterpillar to support the STEM pipeline.”

Student teams work with professional mentors over nine months to design, build and race their karts. This year’s Racing the Sun involves 20 teams from 12 schools across Arizona, including the Navajo Nation.

“The College of Engineering and Caterpillar recognize the importance of investing in Arizona’s future workforce,” said Liz Bowman, SARSEF CEO. “Right now Racing the Sun teams are seeing the benefits of hard work as their karts come together. That wouldn’t be possible without the support of our partners. Because of them, these students are gaining the professional and technical skills to thrive.”

Teams will race their karts from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, at the Musselman Honda Circuit, 11800 S. Harrison Road. The event is open to the public.