THE MURAL IS SET TO BE UNVEILED LATER ON THIS SPRING. ALSO HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, A HEATED COMPETITION IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY. STUDENTS ARE USING THE POWER OF THE SUN TO RACE THEIR BOATS. KCRA 3’S ERIN HEFT LIVE AT THE RANCHO SECO RECREATION AREA, WHERE THE BOATS ARE ALREADY HITTING THE WATER. ERIN. YES THEY ARE. IT’S REALLY IMPRESSIVE. 12 SCHOOLS IN TOTAL RIGHT NOW. HIGH SCHOOLS FROM ACROSS CALIFORNIA. JUST TAKE A LOOK AS IT HAPPENS. SO SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS SETTING UP AS WE SPEAK. OTHERS THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE WATER. I’M JOINED BY JENNIFER BOLNICK. YOU ARE WITH SMUD. AND THIS IS ALL KIND OF A DEDICATION OF SMUD TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO INVEST IN STEM FOR STUDENTS. YES, THAT IS CORRECT. WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING RESOURCES, PROGRAMING AND STEM EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS THROUGHOUT OUR REGION. OKAY. SO IF YOU WERE TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE AS TO WHAT WE’RE WATCHING, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THIS? OH MY GOSH. VERY EXCITING. TODAY WE HAVE 12 TEAMS FROM THROUGHOUT THE STATE. THEY’RE GOING TO BE COMPETING IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. WE HAVE SLALOM, ENDURANCE SPRINT AND PRESENTATION. AND THEY’LL BE COMPETING FOR DIFFERENT AWARDS TODAY AND ALL GOING TOWARDS THE MAIN AWARD, WHICH IS OUR REGATTA CUP. AND WE HAVE HIGH SCHOOLERS TODAY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE COLLEGE STUDENTS TOMORROW. YES THAT’S CORRECT. WE HAVE EIGHT COLLEGE STUDENTS FOR TOMORROW FROM THROUGHOUT THE STATE AS WELL. AND SO THEY ARE COMPETING FOR SEVERAL DIFFERENT AWARDS THAT HAPPEN TOMORROW. YES. CORRECT. SO WE HAVE A FIRST PLACE, SECOND PLACE, THIRD PLACE, AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT AWARDS FOR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. BUT THE GRAND AWARD IS $3,000 FOR REGATTA CUP. INCREDIBLE. OKAY. AND CAN YOU KIND OF DESCRIBE THE IMPORTANCE OF INSTILLING STEM ACTIVITIES IN STUDENTS NOW FOR, YOU KNOW, FUTURE SCIENTISTS? YES. SO AS SMUD, WE TRULY INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT STEM AND STEM CAREERS. AND ALSO WITH OUR GOAL OF GOING ZERO CARBON, THIS PROJECT OF LEARNING MORE ABOUT RENEWABLE ENERGY REALLY ALIGNS WITH THAT. SO IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THROUGH COMPETITIONS, BUT THROUGH CLASSROOM VISITS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES TO EXPOSE STUDENTS TO STEM AND GIVE THEM A SENSE OF DIFFERENT KIND OF CAREERS THEY CAN BE EXPOSED TO. JENNIFER, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AWESOME. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. AND IF YOU’RE WATCHING US NOW, YOU STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME OUT TOMORROW AND WATCH THOSE COLLEGE STUDENTS DO THEIR THING. VERY IMPRESSIVE. WHAT THESE STUDENTS FROM BOTH