Sixth-graders at the Triangle Math and Science Academy in Raleigh worked in teams to build and race cars powered by solar panels as they learned about renewable energy and conservation.

Members of the race’s first-place team were Ethan Godwin, Bram Lovelace, Srisheel Gunnisetti and Alec Lee. They will represent the school in the Energy Whiz Olympics in Orlando in May. The second-place team was Ananyaa Sundar, Shalini Subramanian, Sam Sapkota and Rishika Gaddam. They will compete in an Energy Whiz Olympics event in Virginia, also in May.

The students, whose cars demonstrated what they’d learned about energy conversion, are taught by Isa Pamuk.