As part of its commitment to sustainable mobility, clean energy and environmental protection, the Energy BYD Challenge has been in Pollensa with the participation of 110 pupils from the Monti-sion, CEIP Joan Mas and CEIP Costa i Llobera schools.
At the central location in Pollenaa, a large installation featuring all the activities awaited the participants. The marquee housing the six energy-generating exercise bikes and the corresponding computer equipment stood out. Using these bikes, the children were able to see for themselves how it is possible to generate electricity through the movement of the pedals. The output of their pedalling could be monitored on the screens connected to the bikes, which displayed the amount of electricity generated in real time.
Next to the tents with the bikes was the BYD activity. This consisted of an informative video on the key aspects and importance of electric and sustainable mobility, which also included an interactive quiz on the topic for the students to answer. The practical benefits of this type of mobility were illustrated by Scoobie’s activity. An expert in the field showed the students one of the company’s vehicles, which are specially designed for maintenance work with efficiency as the primary focus.
Next, participants watched a video from Qwello, focusing on a key element of the green transition: renewable energy. Another activity emphasised the students’ creativity. Using the materials provided by the Energy BYD Challenge organisers, they were invited to design the poster for next year’s event.
The ideas that filled Pollensa’s Plaça Major did not stop there.
Physical activity and waste recycling came together in the next workshop. The schoolchildren were given cards made of different materials which they had to place in the correct bin according to their type. Packaging, paper or food waste all had their proper place, though only after a team relay race in which both agility and accuracy counted.
In addition to all this, another marquee hosted a very natural snack available to the children to recharge their batteries after the activities. It consisted of fresh, locally sourced fruit and water. There they could also collect the gift provided by the organisers: a Mallorcan tomato seedling to take home and watch grow and bear fruit.
Pollensa Town Council supported the Energy BYD Challenge event with the attendance of numerous representatives. In attendance were the mayor, Martí March; the councillor for Education and Youth, María José Escribano; the councillor for Tourism, Antoni Cànaves; the councillor for Social Welfare, Maria Morro; and the councillor for Sport and Festivals, Mateu Tugores.
Martí March described his assessment of the event as “very positive”. “This is not the first time we have hosted this initiative, which aims to educate young people on what it means to take action to achieve a sustainable world. We are facing a situation of climate change, and presenting these challenges to primary school pupils is very positive, as the transformation depends on their generation. We must lay the foundations of attitudes and knowledge to be able to create positive policies for the future of society.”
Councillor María José Escribano said that “at the Department of Education, we want to promote these issues, and that is why we thought energy was a very good idea. Pupils are very used to working on these issues at school, but this is a way of learning through experience what renewable energy is and how it can be useful in their daily lives”.
The activities of the Energy BYD Challengewere made possible thanks to Pollensa Town Council, the Department of Enterprise, Employment and Energy of the Government of the Balearic Islands, the Serra de Tramuntana Consortium and BYD Quadis Dream, with the collaboration of Qwello, TBC, the Saica Foundation and Viveros Can Juanito.