WARRENDALE, Pa., April 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SAE International will host the first-ever A World In Motion® (AWIM) Fuel Cell Olympics on Thursday, April 14, during the SAE 2011 World Congress in Detroit.

The event features SAE International's AWIM curriculum, and revolves around student teams building small car models that use hydrogen fuel cells. Students will be able to compete in a variety of events with these cars. The Fuel Cell Olympics will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in Oakland Hall.

The Fuel Cell Olympics are sponsored by the GM Foundation.

"GM's commitment to educational programs that focus on math and science is an investment in the engineers of tomorrow; young energetic students like the AWIM participants truly have the power to develop solutions that will transform tomorrow's vehicles," said Terry Woychowski, Vice President of Global Quality and Launches at General Motors.

AWIM is dedicated to providing K-12 students with hands-on experiences that demonstrate the relevance of science. It incorporates the laws of physics, motion, flight and electronics into age-appropriate hands on activities that reinforce classroom curriculum. The program shows the practical applications beyond the classroom, anchoring textbook concepts to real events and careers.

The technology behind the cars is available to educators, volunteers and young engineers. Using distilled water as the source for hydrogen fuel, the reversible fuel cell is used to electrolyze water and then the hydrogen produced is drawn back into the fuel cell to power the electric motor.

The Fuel Cell Olympics have four different events, covering different components of successful vehicle engineering: distance, weight, accuracy and speed. All of the events take place on a ten meter track. The goal of the distance event is for the car to travel as long as possible while staying in the guidelines of the track. The goal of the weight category is for the car to travel as far as possible with an attached weight. The goal of the accuracy event is to have the car stop at a specific point in the ten meter strip. The goal of the speed event is to have the car that crosses the ten meter line in the shortest time. Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to student teams for each event.

In 2011, AWIM celebrates its 20th anniversary. From a modest beginning in a handful of classrooms AWIM has reached more than four million students since 1991. Click here to hear Matthew Miller, director of the SAE Foundation and pre-college programs, talk about AWIM and its continued relevance as a proven and popular program that teaches STEM concepts to today's children.

For more information on the Fuel Cell Olympics, the SAE 2011 World Congress, or to request press credentials, e-mail pr@sae.org.

SAE International also will host the JetToy Olympics, which also uses the AWIM program, on Wednesday, April 13, from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in Oakland Hall.

SAE International is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International's core competencies are life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development. SAE International's charitable arm is the SAE Foundation, which supports many programs, including A World In Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series.

About the GM Foundation

Since its inception in 1976, GM Foundation has donated hundreds of millions to deserving American charities and to disaster relief efforts worldwide. The GM Foundation focuses on Education, Health and Human Services, Environment and Energy and Community Development initiatives, mainly in the communities where GM operates. For more information, visit www.gm.com/corporate/responsibility/community.

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Contact: Shawn Andreassi of SAE International, 1-724-772-8522 or pr@sae.org

SOURCE SAE International