Energy BYD Challenge continues its tour of Mallorca’s towns and villages, and stopped off in Alaro on 6 May. Pupils from CEIP Pere Rosselló Oliver and Nostra Senyora de Consolació School took part once again in the fun challenges and activities designed to teach them about various aspects of sustainability, energy efficiency and caring for the environment. Between the two schools, there were a total of 136 pupils, who joined those already registered for other Energy BYD Challenge events held this year, bringing the total number of participants to 1,150.
Alaró’s Plaça de la Vila was the venue chosen for the morning’s activities. The first to arrive were the Year 3 and 4 pupils from CEIP Pere Rosselló Oliver who, after having a group photo taken, spread out across the different areas set up by the organisers. As is the case at every Energy BYD Challenge, the cycling area was the most popular and the pupils were able to see how, by pedalling steadily, they managed to generate energy.
On a screen in front of them, various electrical appliances appeared that could be charged using the energy generated by their pedalling. At two other points in the square, participants enjoyed a series of educational videos in which they were asked a series of questions, which the children answered based on everything they had seen and heard.
Another group of children spent their first session onartistic creation and began designing a potential poster for future editions of the Energy BYD Challenge. Colour and good ideas were the order of the day in an art activity that showed that even the youngest children are very aware of the problems facing our planet.
Another more physical challenge, and now a classic feature of every Energy BYD Challenge, consisted of group relay races. It is a race in which the pupils learn where the waste we usually generate at home goes, represented by a drawing printed on a piece of card. When the time was up, they counted with the monitors how many they had placed in the correct spot. There was laughter and also some surprises, as they discovered that some waste items didn’t go where they had thought before taking on this fun challenge.
After the activity, it was time to relax, and the organisers gave the boys and girls a piece of fruit and some water to recharge their batteries. Once the activities were over, the pupils from CEIP Pere Rosselló Oliver queued up to receive a final eco-friendly gift: a plant that they will have to look after if they want to see tomatoes, aubergines, carrots and other vegetables grow. Many of them were surprised to discover that a good number of the vegetables they eat every day can be grown at home.
Shortly before midday, pupils from Years 4, 5 and 6 of Nostra Senyora de Consolació Primary School arrived at the square to take part in the activities set up in front of Alaro Town Hall. The more than fifty pupils also spread out across different areas and finally received their plant as a gift, with smiles on their faces before returning to school.
During the morning, one item in particular caught the attention of all the young participants: Scoobic Baleares’ electric delivery or last-mile vehicle. They didn’t hesitate to have their photos taken next to it and ask questions about how it works and its uses. Scoobic Baleares representative, Andreu Ramis, explained that “our vehicles are electric, lightweight, functional and sustainable. They can travel silently in any urban area or low-emission zone and are ideal for numerous tasks carried out by municipal departments, shops or businesses”.
Representing Alaro Town Council at the Energy BYD Challenge was the Councillor for Maintenance and General Services, Antoni Mateu, who expressed his great satisfaction with the outcome of this third day of the sustainable energy challenge’s visit to Alaro. The councillor noted that “we must congratulate the entire Energy BYD Challenge team for the organisation and for how much fun the children are having; they arrive full of excitement and eager for this day to arrive.”
Antoni Mateu believes that “the Energy BYD Challenge represents an important step in raising awareness among both children and adults of the most interesting aspects ofrenewable energy and energy efficiency, which, ultimately, will also shape the future of our municipality. For this reason, we believe that all the activities related to recycling, electric vehicles and generating energy by pedalling bicycles will leave a lasting impression on the schoolchildren of Alaro.”
Teachers at CEIP Pere Rosselló and Nostra Senyora de Consolació school also agree that “the activities our pupils are taking part in this morning serve to reinforce many of the subjects we teach in class and encourage them to embrace recycling and sustainable energy”.
The Energy BYD Challenge activities were made possible thanks to Alaro Town Council; the Balearic Islands Government’s Department of Enterprise, Employment and Energy; and BYD Quadis Dream, with the collaboration of Melib, Qwello, the Saica Foundation and Scoobic Baleares.
The Energy BYD Challenge is an initiative that aims to raise awareness of the importance of energy saving and the responsible use of resources, particularly among primary school pupils in Mallorca. Through a participatory approach, the project provides a practical introduction to the value of clean energy and energy efficiency.