A group of 25 high school girls from Bendigo is transforming an old Range Rover into an electric vehicle as part of a new program to inspire young women to take up STEM careers.
The year-long project started last month, with students coming from four high schools in the region to work on the car at Bendigo South East College.
Already they have stripped the Range Rover and are separating the body from the chassis. They will then refurbish the interior, install the charger system and rewire the car.
Bendigo Tech School director Graeme Wiggins is running the program to encourage more young women to take up careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths).
"The Australian manufacturing industry currently employs over 900,000 people, with women making up one in four employees," Mr Wiggins said.
"We're trying to create an aspiration pathway for young women who are interested in engineering, advanced manufacturing and automotive careers.
The electric vehicle is expected to be completed by next year and will become a community asset.
"The car will be charged using solar power and all the money we make from renting the car will go back into community enterprise for young people to develop their ideas and start-ups," Mr Wiggins said.
Sense of accomplishment
Bendigo South East College Year 9 student Jasmine Bramley said the girls were adapting easily to the project.
"When I was 10 I would go into my dad's garage and watch him work on a car.
"Now I feel accomplished being part of it. We get to look at the future of cars and learning how it's made."
There has also been some schoolyard envy from the boys.
Fellow Year 9 student Charlotte Wigney said she jumped at the opportunity to find out more about electric cars.
"I guess in the future, by the time I get a car, we'll have to go electric to save the planet."
The Crusoe College student said she was enjoying the hands-on aspect of learning.
"I'm going home, showing my family what I've done and they're telling me, I'm so dirty, it's like I'm from Greased Lightning (the song from the movie Grease)," she laughed.
Car donated
Retired communications technician resident Doug Peters donated the Range Rover after hearing about plans for the project.
"I felt it was a good car for the girls ... you can unbolt every panel on it," he said.
Mr Peters said he hoped the project would continue for years to come.
"They will learn a lot of patience, and a lot of mechanic things and how to unbolt things and put it back together," he added.
And some of the students involved said it was already inspiring their future careers.
"I actually would like to be a mechanic or engineer and think this is a really good experience to get into that," Year 7 student Neve Lawler said.
"I really like it because it's the first step to a better planet."
