CCS Students Earn Podium Finish at Chattanooga Green Prix

Students from Chattanooga Christian School placed third in the High School Modified Division at the 2026 Chattanooga Green Prix, a student-led electric vehicle competition designed to prepare participants for the future workforce through hands-on STEM learning.

Alec Vos ’26 and Graham Tomas ’29 represented CCS in the event, held April 10–11, where elementary, middle and high school teams from across the region designed, built and raced electric-powered vehicles.

"The Green Prix was a fun and educational experience. After racing our car against the other teams, we were able to see where it failed, so that we can improve next time," said Graham Tomas. "Racing was a new and unique experience to me. It's harder than it looks, but more fun than I thought."

For Alec Vos, the competition offered a new level of challenge beyond his previous experience. “After four years of competitive robotics, nothing could have prepared me for the ingenuity of other teams,” Vos said. “Each team experimented with its own approach—building custom designs to improve speed and even determining which driver would be most optimal for the race. Something I learned is that speed, though a big part of the competition, is not the only factor. Being able to diagnose and understand the way your car works is also key to a winning team.”

In the Chattanooga Green Prix, teams can compete in either the Stock or Modified divisions, each offering a different level of engineering challenge. Stock cars are built primarily as designed from a standardized kit, allowing students to focus on proper assembly, safety and foundational understanding of mechanical and electrical systems. In contrast, the Modified division gives students greater freedom to refine and optimize their vehicles, making adjustments to elements like aerodynamics, weight distribution and efficiency. While both divisions emphasize teamwork and problem-solving, the Modified category encourages deeper engineering application and performance-driven design.

The Green Prix, launched in 2017 by green|spaces, was created to provide students with practical experience in electric vehicle technology and engineering. What began with eight local schools has grown into a program supporting more than 45 schools and engaging over 1,000 students.

At CCS, participation in the Green Prix has grown out of the school’s Engineering Design Principles class, giving students a real-world application for concepts learned in the classroom.

A Hands-On STEM Experience

The competition challenges students to work collaboratively to design, build, present and race an electric car using a standardized kit. Along the way, students gain experience in:

• Mechanical assembly and electrical wiring
• Problem-solving and troubleshooting
• Aerodynamics and efficiency design

Students also take on defined team roles, such as engineer, driver, project manager and marketing lead, mirroring real-world engineering teams and career pathways.

After building their vehicles, teams test and refine performance before presenting their design process to judges, who evaluate their understanding, teamwork and engineering decisions. The event culminates in a race, where teams compete to complete laps efficiently in timed or endurance formats.

Preparing Future Leaders

The Green Prix is designed to equip students with critical skills in engineering, renewable energy and collaboration. Through the program, students develop:

• Teamwork and leadership
• Critical thinking and problem-solving
• Technical skills in electrical systems and mechanics

Each participating school receives materials and support to guide students through the process, ensuring access to high-quality STEM education experiences.

For CCS students, the competition represents more than a race.

It’s an opportunity to apply classroom learning, explore future careers and develop the skills needed to lead in an increasingly technology-driven world.