Video: "Frontline" Features Philly Kids Competing For Auto X Prize
Preview of Frontline segment coming next week.
Can a group of inner-city high school students from one of Philadelphia’s toughest neighborhoods beat the odds and build the next great super-hybrid car? InFRONTLINE’s Fast Times at West Philly High, airing Tuesday, July 17, 2012, at 10 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings), a team of young auto builders take on some of the world’s smartest and richest engineers to compete for a $10 million prize. The Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize is a global competition that challenges teams to invent cars of the future. They must be safe, reliable, street-ready and get at least 100 miles per gallon. The group from West Philly is the only high school team to ever make it this far in the prestigious and rigorous competition.
INNER-CITY HIGH SCHOOL TEAM BATTLES TO BUILD A SUPERCAR
FRONTLINE Presents
Fast Times at West Philly High
Tuesday, July 17, 2012, at 10 p.m. ET on PBS
www.pbs.org/frontline/fast-times-at-west-philly-high
Twitter: @frontlinepbs #frontline
Can a group of inner-city high school students from one of Philadelphia’s toughest neighborhoods beat the odds and build the next great super-hybrid car? InFRONTLINE’s Fast Times at West Philly High, airing Tuesday, July 17, 2012, at 10 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings), a team of young auto builders take on some of the world’s smartest and richest engineers to compete for a $10 million prize. The Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize is a global competition that challenges teams to invent cars of the future. They must be safe, reliable, street-ready and get at least 100 miles per gallon. The group from West Philly is the only high school team to ever make it this far in the prestigious and rigorous competition.
FRONTLINE follows the teens as they help build two fast and innovative vehicles during an after-school program.They are led by math and science teacher Simon Hauger, who started the program as a way to keep at-risk kids in school. “The basic assumption is that if you give students a problem to struggle with, something that’s real and relevant, it gets them thinking about what they’re passionate about and interested in.” says Hauger, who pushes his students to solve real-world problems through hands-on learning. “They take ownership over their learning. They get excited about it. They create a vision for themselves, moving forward as a learner, and that’s really what we want.”
The quest for the X PRIZE provides lessons in the power of dedication and passion and the challenges of technological innovation. “If an inner-city high school with no money can create a car that gets 80 or 100 miles per gallon, then I think we’reaccomplishing something big. I think we’ll make history,” West Philly team member Samantha Wright tells FRONTLINE.
Also in this hour, the first of two FRONTLINE reports to be broadcast this year on solutions to America’s dropout epidemic. Nationwide, 7,000 students drop out every school day. In The Middle School Moment, FRONTLINE reports on new evidence that suggests the make-or-break moment for high school dropouts may actually occur in middle school. The film explores how one Bronx school is using a novel form of data collection and analysis to predict and prevent dropouts before they happen. The Middle School Moment is part of American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, a public media initiative supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to help local communities across America identify and implement solutions to address the dropout crisis.
Fast Times at West Philly High is an Electric Camel Films production for WGBH/FRONTLINE. The director and producer is Debra Morton. The series senior producer ofFRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath. The executive producer of FRONTLINE is David Fanning. The Middle School Moment is a FRONTLINE production with Left/Right Docs. The director and producer is Mary Robertson. The writer is Frank Koughan.
Major funding for Fast Times at West Philly High and The Middle SchoolMoment is provided by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. FRONTLINE is produced by WGBH Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and by Reva and David Logan. Additional funding is provided by the Park Foundation and by the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund. FRONTLINE is closed-captioned for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers by the Media Access Group at WGBH.FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of the WGBH Educational Foundation.
pbs.org/pressroom: Promotional photography can be downloaded from the PBS pressroom.
It's not the neighborhood that you are from determines the knowledge people have. If there are teachers and instructors that are willing to put the time and effort in teaching these students anything is possible. These kids can do anything in life they chose to. They do not have to be from rich families or even white families to be smart! That's only a myth!
Posted by: sw | July 16, 2012 at 14:15 PM
Agreed with the above poster. I actually don’t like the idea of this show, it seems to suggest that there is something inherently impressive about inner-city kids competing against a team of engineers, as though location has to do with intellect.
Posted by: Sarah | July 18, 2012 at 07:06 AM
These children can do anything in lifestyle they select to. They do not have to be from wealthy family members or even white-colored family members to be smart! That's only a myth!
Posted by: homeowners insurance florida | August 08, 2012 at 11:41 AM