The Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS) in La Paz hosted the KidWind Challenge for the fourth consecutive year on April 27, bringing elementary and high school students together to design, build, and test wind turbines and solar energy structures.
The competition took place at the university’s Poliforo Cultural Universitario. Students from multiple municipalities across Baja California Sur participated in hands-on engineering exercises focused on renewable energy technology.
Students Build Turbines in Renewable Energy Competition
The KidWind Challenge is an international program supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Energy Technologies Office. It invites students to explore the possibilities and limitations of clean energy by constructing functional wind turbines and solar-powered devices. Since 2009, roughly 50,000 students have competed in KidWind events across more than 40 U.S. states and international locations.
In La Paz, the regional event was organized by Fundación Diurna México in partnership with Invenergy, Eólica Coromuel, and the Consejo Sudcaliforniano de Ciencia y Tecnología (COSHCyTI), the state science and technology council. UABCS co-hosted the competition, which included both wind turbine and solar structure categories.
Organizers Frame Event as Renewable Energy Pipeline
With guidance from trained teachers, student teams designed turbines and implemented solar solutions during the competition. Judges evaluated the designs on both creativity and functionality, along with each team’s knowledge of renewable energy concepts.
Organizers described the challenge as a way to build a pipeline of local talent for the growing renewable energy sector in Baja California Sur. The state’s strong wind and solar resources have attracted industry attention in recent years. Eólica Coromuel, one of the event’s sponsors, operates a wind farm near La Paz.
At last year’s event, UABCS officials congratulated participants and encouraged students to consider the university as a place to pursue careers tied to sustainability. The competition has grown steadily since UABCS first hosted it in 2023.
Top-performing teams at regional KidWind events can qualify for the World KidWind Challenge, an international competition held annually in the United States that draws roughly 100 teams and 400 students.
The event was first reported by Colectivo Pericú.