There was lots of good ENERGY and information at the Sustainable Energy/Health Fair in Palomas last Saturday. Some energy came from the sun. But most of it definitely came from the kids who helped make the sustainable energy displays. Working with teams at their schools, the Palomas students prepared demonstrations about several different topics related to climate change. All the topics were ones that Border Partners is currently using in Palomas. The students set their exhibits up at Palomas’s Central Park alongside our health displays.
Student Achievement on Display
High school students’ achievements were on display at the Energy/Health Fair in downtown Palomas.
These students, from the College Preparatory High School, made demonstrations about
- how the air in the global atmosphere is heating up,
- the water filter BP developed,
- how to make compost to enrich garden soil and
- how to make highly insulating building blocks using recycled paper.
The blender bike creates a smoothie without needing electricity.
The suspended, blue, covered pot (left, center) contains broccoli that the students explained was being slowly cooked by the sun’s rays.
One unique exhibit that covered both the topics of the combined Energy/Health Fair was a special stationary bike. A blender retrofit onto this custom bicycle model. Thus, as someone pedaled, they could make a healthy fruit smoothie at the same time–without using electricity. The blender was pedal-powered by the cyclist.
Other students, who attend the Technical High School, explained how solar cookers can cook food without gas or electricity and
the advantages of using a dry toilet (Hint: It saves water).
These students were also challenging people attending the fair to check their heart rates before and after riding an exercise bike.
Peter Edmunds, from Border Partners, worked with the students and their School Principals to organize all the demonstrations in the Energy Fair.
The Energy Fair coincided with the semi-annual Health Fair organized by the Border Partners’ Promotoras.
Health Fair Traditions Continue
Palomas resident clutches her bag of “take home” greens from the greenhouse.
Veggies and garden seeds were free to take home. Donations were welcome.
For the HEALTH FAIR, the Promotoras offered free healthy burritos featuring fresh vegetables from the BP gardens with beans and cheese. There were also bags of mixed greens to take home and also seeds to take along and plant.
In addition, the Health/Energy Fair provided free haircuts and flu shots for attendees.
Slide Show of photos from the Energy/Health Fair on Flickr: 