Waipā Networks’ Kits.

Solar powered cars and paper circuitry.

Solar Cars

Year 4-10 students: What role does energy transfer play in determining the best way to hypermile our solar powered car? How can we modify seven parameters for an improved speed outcome?

Learning Areas: Technology, Science, Math. 

Key Concepts: Unbalanced force, Energy transformation, Movement, Kinetic Energy, Potential Energy, Parameters.

Classroom availability: 100 Classrooms

Number of students to reach: 3,200

Availability: Term 2, 3, 4 2025

Work desk with a plant, a cup of coffee, notebooks, quick start guides, safety glasses, gloves, nuts, binder clips, and a large flyer about solar car racing.
Icon of a yellow sun with a lightning bolt in the center on a blue background.
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Logo of WAIPA Networks with blue text and an orange abstract flower icon.

Power it up

Year 4-8 students: Understand basic circuit components. Use copper tape, coin cell batteries, buzzers, and bulbs to create a series of paper circuitry artworks that reveal local stories.

Learning Areas: Technology, Science. 

Key Concepts: Conductivity, Electricity, Electrical Current, Paper Circuitry

Classroom availability: 100 Classrooms

Number of students to reach: 3,200

Availability: Term 2, 3, 4 2025

Three blue booklets titled "Power It Up" with orange and white text, scattered on a white desk. Surrounding objects include a laptop, a white smartphone, black glasses, a small potted plant, a USB flash drive, a few LEDs, and coins.
Electric plug icon inside an orange circle.
The WAIPA Networks logo, featuring the company name in blue text with a stylized orange and black flower emblem.
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“The testing of the cars to compare weight and speed was very successful. It encouraged students to compare and modify their cars and then compare the data. A great activity for all students in our senior hubs.”

Teacher Feedback

A cluttered workspace with a large green leaf, a computer mouse, eyeglasses, a white coffee cup filled with coffee, yellow and light blue paper clips, a black notebook with a pink spiral notebook underneath, and several sheets of paper and posters related to a solar car grand prix involving diagrams, checkered patterns, and various instructions and specifications.

Solar Cars Kit includes 20x Solar powered cars (1 car per pair) 2x Classroom fact sheet, 64x Student prototyping sheets, Balloons, Graphite, Car modification weights, Washi tape, Race flags, Finish line tape, 2x Winners trophies.

What people are saying about Solar Cars.

Teamwork and problem solving
”This kit was very engaging for our students. There was lots of problem-solving that happened to get the solar cars running. Some went backwards, to begin with, but with some problem-solving and teamwork. It was rewarding to see how students supported one another to complete the solar car.”

Great student discussions
”Students talked about the need for more sun so that their cars could go further and faster. When the class tested their solar cars, it was a very serious business as the class did not want one person or group to have any advantage.”

“This kit is amazing. The resources provided meet the needs of teaching circuitry to students and leads very well into STEM activities. Highly recommend and look forward to having another kit next year to use with my class.”

Teacher Feedback

Three blue booklets titled "Power It Up" on a white desk, surrounded by a pair of black glasses, a white smartphone, a gray USB flash drive, red LEDs with silver legs, a small speaker, a plant, and part of a silver laptop.

Power it up Kit includes 32x Circuitry booklets, 12x rolls copper tape, 32x buzzers, 96x coin cell batteries (3 per student), LED lights, 32x bulldog clips.

What people are saying about Power it up.

Hands on Science

“We had a lot of fun learning about electrical curcuits with 'Power it Up'. My class became experts and enjoyed creating their own circuits once they had completed many inside the books.'“

A real buzz for learning

“Always love doing this kit with my class. The students learnt so much about power. Even simple things such as positive and negative on the battery. Students found it really interesting to go through the booklet and enjoyed the added buzz of the buzzer (no pun intended).”

Every kit has three parts

  • Set of educational materials and awards for a classroom, including a colorful folder labeled 'School Kit Teacher Your Classroom', a poster about solar cars with information on energy transfer, laws of motion, and racing track illustrations, two spiral notebooks with a car diagram and space for student information, two trophies, and some red and blue balloons with logo stickers.

    01. The Boxed Kit

    Physical materials. Student focused. Designed to be used, transformed and modified. Beautiful. Boxed. Delivered to you

  • Digital devices displaying educational materials on solar-powered cars, including a laptop with a webpage, a smartphone with build instructions, and a poster with detailed science concepts.

    02. The online, teacher only kit space

    Private, secure, everyone together. Teachers only, free to join.

  • Digital devices displaying a school support service, with photos of teachers and students, and a booking calendar.

    03. The support to teach

    Tips and tricks. Direct messaging. School Visits. Calendly Appts. Zoom sessions. Teacher Champions

Have a question or want to know more?