What is the best way to fight early school leaving, to assist disabled pupils and to encourage the emergence of vocations and of training or professional projects ? This project, which is aimed at pupils who mainly come from disadvantaged backgrounds and family environments wants to favour cultural awareness and an ambition for individual and team success in which each car finds its place in a dynamics of cross-curricular human and sports success. The interested classes are from vocational Schools in France (Cité Scolaire de Mirepoix) and Italy (IPS Garbin Schio/Thiene) and the project will bring them to the realization of miniature solar vehicles for the participation in the competition Solar Challenge in Toulouse in May, 2019 and 2020. We plan a first meeting between teachers and staff in France to proceed to the determination of the calendar of the productions, share the responsibilities in these pupils' various productions, define the modalities of exchanges so that every team can show its productions. In Italy, there will be the first meeting of classes. They will participate in the finalization of the division of the missions, with the aim of the participation in the competition which will take place in France in May and which will represent the opportunity of the journey to Mirepoix of the Italian pupils. During this time the Italian class of dress manufacturing will contribute making the race suit, and the Italian class of marketing will contribute to the choice of the logo and to the advertising of the project. During the second year we shall develop the research around the possible improvement of solar panels, their possible marketing or better use. The meeting of the classes, in November and in May, will always have for purpose the sharing of the knowledge and the analysis of the results of the works face-to-face. People who will move will be 17/18 for France, 12/13 for Italy, but the project plans the commitment of several classes and the help and the participation of both high schools and families which will welcome the pupils.
The goal of the project was to get pupils to meet around a technical project : the building of radio-controlled model solar cars, allowing students to participate, twice in a row, in the "Solar Challenge" race in Toulouse at the Cité de l'Espace. Being part of the solar challenge has allowed collaboration and exchange between the Italian and the French students. The Italian students took care of the electronic side : the photovoltaic panels. The students from Mirepoix carried out the mechanical part. The technical manufacturing gear available at the Mirepoix techical high school made it possible to use different processes and different materials to produce the entire mechanical part (the front and rear axles, the chassis, the steering), along with the electronic knowledge of the Garbin high school for the photovoltaic panels. From the first trip in Schio, the understanding was very good, and the involvement of all the students in the project could be noted. The teamwork was productive and the commitment to solve the technical problems and reach the same goal was shared. The two schools seem different but are actually similar in the ways they work. Thanks to the participation of the Garbin High School fashion class, the students were able to wear racing clothes in the "Solar Challenge" race that took place during the second trip. The aim of the second year was to deepen the knowledge of photovoltaic panels and to raise awareness about the importance of renewable sources of energy, but also, thanks to the participation of the marketing class of the Garbin high school, to introduce the students to marketing strategies and communication techniques around solar panels. The various initiatives and the notion of competing against other teams on the day of the race helped to develop a real team spirit which helped promote inclusion and improve everyone's self-esteem. We were only able to carry out 3 of the 4 planned trips, and in the second year, only a prototype of version 2 could be carried out due to the prolonged closure of the schools. However all the goals were achieved and we obtained 4 prizes due to our involvement in the "Défis solaires" (solar challenges) race including the "ESPRIT D'EQUIPE" (team spirit) prize. The students enjoyed representing their schools in a European project and were able to realize what an opportunity this represents on the human, technical, professional and cultural levels. The students, who are preparing a technical college baccalaureate, finished the project feeling confident and grown up. They have been allowed to develop personal, interpersonal and intercultural skills, since they stayed at their penpals' homes. Meeting others was thus an opportunity to create lasting and sincere friendships.