HELP International School successfully debuted their student-built electric go-kart and set the fastest sprint time of 6.94 seconds for a Malaysian student-built go-kart over 50 metres with a 2kw BLDC engine, 48v.
As part of the school’s strategic plan in strengthening its holistic STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) curriculum, this initiative is one of many that provided students the opportunity and exposure to gain hands-on electrical and mechanical engineering skills and experience the results of their work as they test drive the go-karts, and learn that electric vehicles and green technology can create a better world.
Mr Martin van Rijswijk, the school principal, congratulated the inaugural batch of electric go-kart young engineers. “This is what authentic learning looks like. We’re so proud to see the school’s vision of taking learning from the classroom into practical application. HELP International School constantly challenges educational norms and boundaries to provide an innovative and trans-disciplinary learning journey that has true relevance to the future of our students,” said Mr van Rijswijk.
Invited Guest-of-Honour, Mr Weiron Tan, Director of Motorsports Services Aston Martin Racing Asia and Malaysian professional race driver, expressed his excitement at seeing such innovation and learning opportunities offered to 14 -15 year old students: “It was simply amazing that students are capable of building a full electric-powered kart in just 6 months. I am certainly keen to offer support and advice in the upcoming year, and strengthen the collaboration between Motorsports Services Aston Martin Racing Asia and HELP International School.”
After Mr Weiron took to the wheel and put a student-built go-kart to the test, he provided feedback to the students based on a driver’s point of view on the construction of the go-kart such as the angle of the throttle.
The Hybrid Go-Kart Design & Build is an elective under the School Enrichment Programme which runs as part of the weekly timetabled lessons, 2 hours a week. The carefully curated enrichment programme is designed for students aged 13 to 15, and includes electives such as hybrid go-kart design & build, entrepreneurship, podcasting/vlogging, Code School Finland, sports leadership and coaching, Science Crest Awards, photography and percussion ensemble, to name a few. These electives allow students to explore the world beyond the classroom and discover hidden interests and talents.
The electric go-karts were assembled from scratch by 24 Year 9 students under the guidance of a teacher from the Design and Technology Department, within a span of six months. The students had to do all the mathematical calculations, learn and apply basic mechanical and electrical engineering, and after many hours of getting their hands dirty, test drove the electric go-karts themselves. The students competed in a head-to-head slalom race, attempted to set the fastest time over 50 metres, and also showcased the prototype of a hybrid go-kart powered by solar and electric energy.
Besides empowering young people, the School’s aim is for HELP International School to set a record for the fastest solar go-kart built by Secondary students in Malaysia, and eventually participate in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia.
Next year, the aim of the team will be to build fully operational solar go-karts. They would like to open the challenge to all schools in the Klang Valley to build their own solar go-karts from scratch for an annual competition hosted by HELP International School.
About HELP International School
As part of the HELP Education Group, HELP International School was established in 2014, with an international team of experienced and passionate leaders and teachers. The School focuses on a holistic and all-round educational model, combining the best of Western and Eastern values, and backed by a research-led education programme supported by the HELP University.
Since its inception, the school has not only grown in size with a current enrollment of 1,300 students, but also expanded its offerings to continuously benefit its students and nurture the next generation of critical thinkers.
In the last eight years, HELP International School alumni have made its community proud by spreading their wings far and wide. From being accepted into renowned institutions such as University of Cambridge, Imperial College of London, University of California, Los Angeles, University of British Columbia, the ZJE Institute (Zhejiang University – University of Edinburgh), Seoul National University, to being awarded with the Hult Prize of USD 1 million seed funding to work with rice farmers in Myanmar to double their crop yield and income, HELP graduates continue to grow themselves and the community around them.
HELP International School is renowned for its excellent educational quality having won a 5-star rating from the Ministry of Education in just its second year of operation and was shortlisted as the International School of the Year in the Times Educational Supplement (TES) Independent School Awards 2019 in the UK. In 2021, the School joined 14 other established international schools in Malaysia to be recognised as a CIS (Council of International Schools) School, among 1,360 institutions around the world, for its commitment to high quality international education. The School has also been recognised by Apple as a Distinguished School for being a model of innovation in education and validated as an IPC Accredited School (International Primary Curriculum), joining 1% of schools worldwide to have attained such an achievement.
True to the school motto of “Life in All Its Fullness”, HELP International School creates a learning environment that inspires students to cultivate their unique talent and prepare them to contribute in purposeful ways to the world that they will inherit and shape.
Families who wish to seek more information on HELP International School are invited to call the School at 03-78097000 / 016-6680549 / 010-6680647 or email at enquiry@kl.his.edu.my. More information is also available on www.his.edu.my.
For media queries, please contact:
Ms Juliet Chan
The HELP Education Group
Tel: +6012-6250207
Email: juliet.chan@help.edu.my
Ms Lee Pei Shee
The HELP Education Group
Tel: +6012-2800137
Email: peishee.lee@hes.edu.my