Dear Prospective Sponsor,
The Madison Solar Car Initiative (MadSCI) is an after school project that has been on-going at James Madison High School since 2010. MadSCI’s mission is to advance knowledge and educate a wide diversity of students in science, technology, engineering, math, and other areas of scholarship that will ensure that they will best serve themselves, San Antonio, Texas, the nation, and the world in the 21st century. Now more than ever, there is a tremendous need for students with innovation and expertise in fields that will help solve the world’s most critical problems. In striving to prepare students for success in the global community that our world has become, and to fuel their artistic and academic ambitions, motivate them in science, engineering, and technology, it has become increasingly necessary to expand the curriculum beyond the standard classroom. Students need to be exposed to, and involved in, activities that involve authenticity, collaboration, critical thinking skills, global implications, in-depth investigations, cross-curricular applications, and a very high student motivation and engagement factor. It was this desire to ensure student success in the global community that provided the impetus behind the undertaking of such a project as the construction of roadworthy solar cars with the additional goal of entering them into competitions. To these ends, MadSCI was created.
MadSCI is the perfect beyond the classroom project because in striving to meet the challenges this project entails, students in addition to learning about engineering, alternative energy, battery technology, aerodynamics, computer science, and meteorology, have to translate that knowledge into strategy. Such a project furthermore involves activities that empower students, foster deep learning and communication skills across a variety of subjects, enhance critical thinking and problem-solving skills, necessitate collaborative work, and provide experience working with students of different cultures, backgrounds, and academic and technical skill levels. Students also develop engineering intuition and innovation, project and time management, and public speaking skills. Students learn what it takes to successfully carry a project from inception to completion. These skill sets allow students to be better prepared to enter college and the university and tackle the challenges in life after that. It is a program that allows students to push themselves and develop the habits of the mind, disciplines of the soul, assortment of skills, and pools of knowledge that will enable them to push the envelope of science and engineering and be significant contributors to solving the world’s current and future problems. A further valuable aspect of this project is that it promotes alternative energy and transportation through its participation in school, city, state and national events.
This is not the type of experience that can come from a classroom, nor even other extracurricular/scholastic activities. Rather this is exactly the type of major project that a student could expect to be involved with working for a large corporation, government agency, or a private business. This project is not funded by the school. All materials, equipment, and expenses are obtained from donations or sponsorship.
MadSCI would be glad to send you a sponsorship packet put together by team members with many more details about the project (such as a budget and timeline), and/or if desired, the students could give a presentation about the project and how it has impacted their lives. We would also gladly visit with our cars.
After reading the details, the hope is that you may consider becoming a sponsor of this incredibly worthwhile project. Sponsorship could be in any form from funds, parts/equipment, mentoring/advising, or just general assistance. In return for sponsorship, your company logo, or individual name, would be displayed on our website, flyers, advertising, trailer (once we are able to obtain one), door of our workshop, and car.
MadSCI is grateful and appreciative for your consideration of our project as a potential candidate for support.
Thank you for reading this and considering sponsorship of the MadSCI. Without support from the community, beyond the classroom projects such as this would not be possible. Your aid contributes to the maturation and development of our students into viable and successful individuals with the habits of mind and the discipline of the soul capable of achieving success in whatever future endeavors they choose to undertake.
Thank you again for your time, attention, interest, and consideration,
Dr. Joe Dungan
Founder and Director
