ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
SparkShop is a nonprofit which provides small engineering challenges to schools around Chicago. Sparkshop's mission of educating and instilling a love of STEM to young kids aligned perfectly with our social sustainability goals. In partnership with SparkShop, we created an introductory kit for STEM Racing. Recognizing the challenges we faced when starting our journey, we wanted to make the process easier and more accessible for others. Our goal was to lower the barrier to entry for new teams, particularly those from underrepresented communities, by sharing our experience.
We identified that energy consumption during pit display operation at competitions is a significant source of CO₂ emissions. To support our net-positive emissions goal, we implemented Aeros Energy, a software solution that targets and shuts down non-critical applications running on the pit display to reduce energy usage. Through testing, we found this approach improved power efficiency by approximately 30%.
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
Knowing how much STEM Racing changed our lives, we wanted to share
our experience with our broader school community. We collaborated with middle school robotics teams and science classes, sparking interest in engineering and technology. Throughout the program, we mentored 35 students and led 8 community outreach sessions. We also started a learning track which introduced the program to prospective new members. This provided a low-stakes gateway to the Aeros Racing team, and allowed participants to understand the implications of joining.