What is BYDV: The "Build Your Dream Vehicle" (BYDV) program offers high school students and teachers an annual competition that integrates technology and career education into the academic core curriculum. Teamwork, marketing, finance, design, and communication strategy encourage the application of learning to real-life situations.

BYDV requires students to use mathematics, science, social studies, language arts, technology, and design skills to develop and design a vehicle. Keeping in the spirit of cutting-edge design and technology that we promote through our vehicles, students and teachers will explore any and all leading manufacturers and innovators of design as sources of inspiration. Students are encouraged to make connections between what they learn in the classroom and the application of their learning after they leave school.

Participating in this competition will teach students to: 1) Work effectively as a team, use research techniques to develop a marketing plan, analyze environmental, safety, and ergonomic issues, make business decisions about vehicle cost, selling price, and profit, utilize creative design skills, and apply all of the learned skills to other class work in a working-world scenario.

Student and teams participate in a series of activities that teach them about the development of a product. They will then apply this information to create a vehicle design and marketing plan. If selected as a semi-finalist and finalist, each team conducts a 30-minute presentation.

Note of interest: BYDV originated as an experiential program designed to provide greater insight into the automotive industry. More specifically, to show how various skill sets work together to create the vehicles people love to drive.

The pilot program launched in Chicago during the 1994-95 school year. Response was so overwhelming from both teachers and students that the competition expanded to Los Angeles and Miami the following year. Between 1997 and 1999, five more cities were added with the hopes of expanding the program throughout the country.

That dream was fulfilled during the 1999-2000 school year, when BYDV became a national program and today has been extended into select Canadian provinces. For more information on the program, go to: www.bydv.org