Fossil Ridge High School teacher Dan Dannahower hopes to use a student-modified go-kart for fundraisers and as an opportunity for students to learn about STEM.

“Five years ago [there was a] team that was wanting to do a go-kart project, so the team contacted a company down in Boulder, and they just had this old go-kart in the back of the warehouse that wasn’t really working,” said Dannahower. “So they were like, sure, you can have it.”

Over the last five years, four student teams of two to five people each have been upgrading the go-kart piece by piece. 

“The first team that got it, they converted it from a gas powered go-kart to an electric one. The third team modified the electrical system, and then they modified some other parts of it,” Dannahower said. “Our current team is modifying the rear drive train, they did some welding and made the kart lighter.”

The current team is made up of juniors Cooper Brooks and Vann Beecher. 

“This year we’ve been able to replace its back axle and make it fresh and new,” said Brooks. “It’s fun to put together and take apart some sort of vehicle.”

However, sometimes it can be stressful in terms of time and money, he said. The students have spent about $500 on the project this year. 

When people hear about a go-kart, most of them think about racing. But Dannahower has other plans for it.

“My vision is that we could use it for people to actually ride around on campus for whatever reason. We could just use it as a promotion for the STEM Academy or, you know, just a fundraiser. So we need to get it safe and reliable enough to be able to do that,” he said.

So far, he has tested the kart on campus just once.

“I drove it once around the school. It handled well and the speed was sufficient. The chain did pop off at one point because it was not aligned properly with the sprocket,” Dannahower said.

Reliability and safety is not its only concern. Keeping the go-kart safe from the elements has been a struggle.

“We bought a canopy that covered it and the canopy blew apart. Right now we’re 3D printing some joints for aluminum poles and we’re trying to make a little cover for it so that snow will come off. We don’t have a great storage solution right now,” Dannahower said.

If any students are interested in working on the go-kart, Dannahower said students should start by enrolling in STEM survey classes then the project classes. They do not need to worry about the go-kart ever being finished.

“I don’t think it will ever be done! We will use it as a tool for as long as it is functional. It is a great way to learn about vehicle efficiency and mechanics,” said Dannahower.

Dannahower’s website can be found here. Students are also free to go to Dannahower about any questions they may have about the kart or STEM academy