Baltimore's Perry Hall High School Wins the Chrysler Group's 'Build Your Dream Vehicle' Competition

    WASHINGTON, March 30 Teamwork, dedication and imagination
contributed to the triumph of Perry Hall High School's Team MECK during the
Chrysler Group's 2000 "Build Your Dream Vehicle" educational challenge in
Washington, DC.  The first-place team's concept vehicle, the Phoenix, earned
$3,000, a 1st Place trophy and the opportunity to compete at the National
Finals in May at the Chrysler Group's North American headquarters in Auburn
Hills, Mich.  Seven other teams presented their projects during an all-day
event on March 29 at Georgetown University.
    (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010330/DCF026 )
    Team MECK's vehicle, the Phoenix, is a spacious sedan priced in the
$20,000 to $25,000 price bracket.  The team used an Internet survey to
determine features most-desired by members of the baby-boomer generation, the
car's target market.
    Created in 1994, the "Build Your Dream Vehicle" program's integrated
curriculum challenges high school students to use teamwork and creativity to
conceive, design and present an innovative, environmentally-friendly vehicle-
complete with a three-dimensional model or drawing and a marketing and
financial plan.
    A second team from Perry Hall earned second-place in the Baltimore-
Washington area competition with their vehicle, "the JET."  They received
$2,000 and a trophy.  One of the three competing teams from Baltimore's
Eastern Technical High School was honored with third place, winning a trophy
and $1,000 for their vehicle, "the Image."
    The winning team's instructor, Mr. Michael McIntyre, a technical education
teacher at Perry Hall High School, said, "We are honored to win this
competition and we look forward to competing in the National Finals in May.
But the significant life lessons my students have learned by working together
have been the most valuable prizes of the competition."
Students and coaches on the three winning teams are:

    Name of High School            Concept Vehicle     Students and Coach

    1st Place - Perry Hall         MECK Phoenix        Meghna Trivedi, Kristy
                                                       Fridley, Evelyn Chou,
                                                       Christine Phung and
                                                       Mr. Michael McIntyre

    2nd Place - Perry Hall         JET                 Teri Hansell, Emily
                                                       Nilsson, John Cocoros,
                                                       John Burke and
                                                       Mr. Michael McIntyre

    3rd Place - Eastern Technical  Image               Jeff Stidham, Justin
                                                       McCarty, Eric Martin,
                                                       Robert Rose, Joe
                                                       Malecki, Greg
                                                       Kowalewski and
                                                       Mr. Doug Nelson

    A total of 30 teams from 9 area high schools sent their "Build Your Dream
Vehicle" entries to Chrysler Group headquarters in January for preliminary
judging. Eight teams were chosen to compete in the Baltimore-Washington
regional finals competition.  The teams have been working on their "dream"
vehicles since the beginning of the 2000-2001 school year.  Student teams from
Miami, Houston, Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles, Detroit, Atlanta and Chicago
are also participating in regional competitions with each city's first place
team advancing to the National Finals in May.
    For more information about the "Build Your Dream Vehicle" program,
educators should call 1-888-839-BYDV (2938), or visit the Web site at
http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/bydv .