2/2: Phoenix Charter School (Greenville, TX)

Project: Wind-powered water pump

My first trip to Texas and I fly-in during a snow emergency warning! I upgraded my rental vehicle to a SUV for added protection from Texas drivers unfamiliar with driving in snow. Less than one inch of snow fell!

Greenville, TX is a forty-minute drive northeast of Dallas.

Phoenix Charter's theme is art and science. From talking with students, I formed the impression that students sometimes move between Phoenix Charter and the town's traditional high school several times during their careers. The school is about six years old and serves students from Kindergarten through 12th grade in its four buildings. The school was built on a swampy area and the school's waterlogged quad is the inspiration for their InvenTeams project (see photo).

Phoenix Charter's puddle and invention inspiration
Originally uploaded by Joshua Schuler.

After school I spoke with a few students (grades 8-11) involved with the project. The InvenTeam is still in the research and early design part of the process -- investigating different shapes of blades to capture wind energy, researching average wind-speed in the quad and building a scale model. They had just made a design discovery relating to the optimal depth and angle of the pump's screw.

In addition to Anne Casey, the InvenTeams teacher and a MIT alum, I met with the school's principal and several other teachers, including the art teacher who will help the students think about the aesthetics of their invention (after all, it will be in the middle of the school's yard).

The InvenTeam is working closely with engineers from L-3, located close to the school.