The 51本色 presented Louisiana Wind Energy Week last week, highlighting the 51本色鈥檚 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 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.
鈥淭he 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,鈥 said Ethan Smith, science teacher at The Willow School.
Environmental Planning and Innovation Workshops
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鈥檚 potential to lead in offshore wind innovation while maintaining a strong focus on environmental stewardship.
Connecting Students with Industry Leaders
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鈥檚 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.
鈥淭his program is a game-changer, providing students with direct access to industry leaders and opportunities that launch their careers,鈥 said Rebecca Conwell, president and CEO of The Beach at UNO. The event reinforced UNO鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 energy future.
鈥淥ur programs and partnerships are building the workforce of tomorrow鈥攏ot just for the Gulf of Mexico but for the global renewable energy industry,鈥 said Shafin Khan, vice president of external affairs & innovation at The Beach at UNO.
For more information about UNO鈥檚 programming during LA Wind Energy Week, contact Blair Bourgeois at bbourgeois@thebeachuno.org.
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