Gifted area students learn science through racing at YPG

While some fourth-graders are spending the summer trying to forget about learning, Raul Emmanuel Solarzano Abour is putting his excitement about science on the fast track.

"(I like) everything about science," Abour said. "Once at school, in science club, I did this chemical reaction and it went 'Pop!' And once, I got to make ice cream and pudding. It's like chemistry."

Abour said his mom decided to channel this enthusiasm by sending him to the Fast Track Science Day Camp this summer.

He and 24 other local students in grades 4 through 8 are spending this week at the Heritage Center of the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground. The Fast Track program teaches math and science skills by letting students modify and race remote-controlled cars.

The program was devised by the National Science Center of Augusta, Ga. It is being administered through the Heritage Center with the help of local science teachers and center curator Bill Heidner.

Heidner said the students are broken into teams. They are each given a remote-controlled car. Throughout the week, they have to devise ways to increase its speed while still keeping it under control to navigate turns and jumps on a race track course.

"This is perfect for YPG, because that's what we do," Heidner said. "These kids get to learn the scientific method hands-on."

Melissa Galate, 10, said they have to keep track of the car's weight and the time it takes them to navigate the test track.

They use those numbers to calculate what they should change, either about their driving or the car itself.

"We've put on and added weight to it, to different spots so it would work better," she said. "But it depends, because if you're going under something, you don't want to put too much weight on the top. The back, sides and front are best."

The camp also includes presentations on science, including a talk today from one of YPG's engineers.

Heidner said he hopes this experience will make some of the kids think about becoming engineers themselves one day.

"They ask, 'Why do I need to learn this stuff? What good is this stuff?' We're going to answer," Heidner said.

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Sarah Reynolds can be reached at

sreynolds@yumasun.com or 539-6847.