As part of the KidWind program, Orleans Parish teachers engaged in expert-led training and received funding to mentor student teams.
The University of New Orleans presented Louisiana Wind Energy Week last week, highlighting the University’s pivotal role in advancing future energy initiatives. Through a focus on education, workforce development and industry collaboration, UNO reaffirmed its leadership in shaping opportunities within the Gulf region and on the national stage.
KidWind Program: Empowering Educators and Inspiring Students
As part of The Beach at UNO's WE LEAD-NOLA initiative, the KidWind Program equipped Orleans Parish high school educators with the tools and resources to bring wind energy concepts into their classrooms. Over three months, participants engaged in expert-led training and received funding to mentor student teams for the KidWind Challenge.
The Willow School students Adelaide Egle and Maevey Bartkus took top honors in the challenge, impressing judges with their turbine prototypes. Their victory earned them a spot at KidWind Worlds, where they will represent the region alongside 95 teams from around the world.
“The KidWind Program has been a great way to show my students the many opportunities and challenges that wind energy presents. Through hands-on testing and analysis, they definitely have a better understanding of the potential that is out there with offshore wind energy,” said Ethan Smith, science teacher at The Willow School.
In collaboration with the National Wildlife Federation, UNO hosted the Environmental Planning and Innovation Workshops, providing a forum for academics, policymakers and industry leaders. The sessions featured a presentation on the environmental impacts of offshore wind development and discussions on overcoming key challenges such as technological and financial feasibility, market maturation and project alignment.
These workshops emphasized the Gulf region’s potential to lead in offshore wind innovation while maintaining a strong focus on environmental stewardship.
A standout moment of the week was the WindHub @UNO Industry Night, an annual gathering of industry leaders and ecosystem partners. The event spotlighted UNO’s innovative Wind Scholars Program, which connects students with prominent companies like Entergy, Edison Chouest and Keystone Engineering for paid internships.
Featuring an engineering curriculum-based track and one of the few Supply Chain, Operations, and Logistics (ScOL) tracks in the nation, the program combines specialized coursework with hands-on industry experience, equipping students to meet the growing workforce demands of the offshore wind sector.
“This program is a game-changer, providing students with direct access to industry leaders and opportunities that launch their careers,” said Rebecca Conwell, president and CEO of The Beach at UNO. The event reinforced UNO’s commitment to cultivating the workforce of tomorrow while strengthening connections across the renewable energy ecosystem.
A Vision for the Future
Louisiana Wind Energy Week underscored UNO’s commitment to advancing offshore wind energy initiatives through education, innovation and workforce development. From empowering educators to connecting students with industry leaders, UNO continues to shape the region’s energy future.
“Our programs and partnerships are building the workforce of tomorrow—not just for the Gulf of Mexico but for the global renewable energy industry,” said Shafin Khan, vice president of external affairs & innovation at The Beach at UNO.
For more information about UNO’s programming during LA Wind Energy Week, contact Blair Bourgeois at [email protected].
• Learn more about UNO's Wind Scholar Program here.
• Learn more about KidWind here.
• Follow WindHub @UNO’s future events and updates at: www.instagram.com/windhubuno
