In rural regions of Colombia, limited access to reliable energy and hands-on STEM education can create barriers to innovation and learning. Recognizing these challenges, a student team from Universidad de La Sabana launched an EPICS in IEEE project to help bridge the energy and educational gaps rural students face.
The project, Empowering Rural Schools: Early Engineering and Smart Energy for Equity – Colombia, focused on developing and deploying a Solar Energy Mobile Lab that combines renewable energy technologies with practical engineering education. By integrating photovoltaic generation, Arduino R4 WiFi microcontrollers, battery energy storage, IoT telemetry systems, environmental monitoring systems, and a web-based monitoring dashboard, the Solar Energy Mobile Lab provides school aged students with hands-on opportunities to explore renewable energy and smart technologies.
According to Project Leader Juan Manuel Aranda López King, an Associate Professor at Universidad de La Sabana, the motivation behind the project was rooted in a desire to address persistent inequities affecting rural communities.
“Our motivation stemmed from recognizing persistent energy inequity and limited access to applied STEM education in rural Colombian schools,” Aranda explained. “As a team, we saw an opportunity to align engineering education with social impact through EPICS in IEEE.”
The project brought together a diverse group of collaborators, including the Faculty of Engineering and IEEE Student Branch at Universidad de La Sabana, Gimnasio Campestre Los Laureles, a rural school in Cajicá, and industry partner Perficient, whose support contributed to the project’s development. Fifteen IEEE student members and two faculty members participated on the project team, combining technical expertise, community engagement, and educational outreach to create a meaningful learning experience for the students at Gimnasio Campestre Los Laureles.
Through the Solar Energy Mobile Lab workshops and hands-on activities, students were introduced to concepts such as renewable energy generation, data collection, energy monitoring, and smart system design. Participating high school students were encouraged to ask questions, experiment with technology, and connect engineering concepts to challenges they saw in their own communities. The proposal envisioned students not just as learners but as future problem solvers capable of identifying and addressing energy problems in their own communities. Through maker activities, engineering projects, and renewable energy education, participants were encouraged to explore how technology can be used to improve the quality of life and promote sustainability.
The project was deployed at Gimnasio Campestre Los Laureles in Cajicá, Cundinamarca, Colombia. “The biggest success was the delivery and deployment of a fully functional Solar Energy Mobile Lab,” Aranda shared. “It combined robust engineering design with educational usability, enabling hands-on learning and leaving a sustainable asset with the community.”
Like many community-based projects, the team encountered and solved many challenges along the way. Administrative delays and unforeseen institutional circumstances required flexibility, and some planned school activities had to be relocated to university facilities. Despite these obstacles and delays, the strong partnership with Gimnasio Campestre Los Laureles helped them adapt by reorganizing workshops and maintaining opportunities for hands-on engagement.
The impact of the project went well beyond the technology itself. A total of 20 students and two teachers from Gimnasio Campestre Los Laureles received direct training through the Solar Energy Mobile Lab. Overall, approximately 170 community members benefited through workshops, demonstrations, and knowledge-sharing activities that promoted sustainability awareness and STEM education.
The experience also proved valuable for the university students and faculty involved. Team members strengthened their knowledge of renewable energy systems, IoT applications, and system integration while also developing professional skills in leadership, project management, communication, empathy, and stakeholder engagement. As Aranda noted, one of the project’s most important lessons was that “technical excellence must be paired with empathy, flexibility, and iterative feedback.”
Looking ahead, the team plans to continue monitoring the lab through its IoT connectivity, make iterative improvements to the prototype, and develop additional curriculum modules based on community feedback.
Ultimately, the project demonstrates how engineering can be a powerful tool for community empowerment. By combining renewable energy education, hands-on learning, and meaningful community partnerships, the team helped create opportunities for rural high school students to develop skills that can contribute to a more sustainable future. Just as importantly, the project reflects the mission of EPICS in IEEE: empowering students and educators to work together, apply engineering knowledge in service to others, and create lasting impact through technology and collaboration.
This project was supported by the Industry Applications Society (IAS), an EPICS in IEEE Partner.
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