PRINT ARTICLE

Print    Close This Window
Quite A Ride
Mrs. Mulcahy-LaChance challenges her elementary engineering students to design and build a balloon powered vehicle at home. Weeks Elementary 5th grader Averie Kerwin accepted that challenge – and then some.

“She took balloon-powered cars to a new level,” said Mrs. Mulcahy-LaChance.

Averie built a school bus. But, not just any school bus. She placed a picture of a classmate in each of the windows of the bus, along with other details such as the number and animal that signify her bus route.

“I like art and I like details. That’s another reason why it’s so detailed. My dad also gave me the ideas and it helped” said Averie.  

Using a soda box as a chassis and attaching the bottoms of two soda cans together for wheels, Averie’s bus chugs along as far as the air released from a balloon will take it. The vehicle is the merger of art and engineering.

“Averie has an inventor's mind. She is curious, asks questions, and most importantly she is tenacious,” said Mulcahy-LaChance.

“I like engineering but I don’t know if I’d use it daily. I use art daily,” said Averie.

“Averie reminds me of an inventor/engineer I met last week at a Master Teacher Panel Lecture. She works for Dow Chemical and began keeping a journal of ideas for intentions she had beginning in 4th grade. Averie will make a big impact on changing the work through her engineering and inventions. I have no doubt about it,” said Mulcahy-LaChance.

For now, Averie is just happy about her latest project.

“I think it came out great,” said Averie.