Are the streets you walk down on your way to work or school well-lit? For a group of young people from Campo Quijano, in the Argentine province of Salta, that wasn’t always the case. Tired of walking to class along a dark road, they decided to develop an initiative to become more independent in that regard. That’s when they created the “SolarPack,” a prototype backpack equipped with a small solar power system that provides portable lighting.
The project was developed using STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) knowledge and won Solve for Tomorrow Argentina in 2025. Designed for students and families with limited access to electricity, the idea arose from the need for a functional, durable, and easy-to-use device to provide light, rather than creating yet another item to carry every day. So, they added a new feature to the backpack they were already using and realized that simply turning on a light wasn’t enough. The prototype had to be suitable for daily use, withstand rain, protect the internal circuits, and not add too much weight to the student’s load. It also needed to be sustainable. So, the students worked with a small solar panel, a lithium battery, internal wiring, a switch, and a built-in LED lamp.
Although it may seem simple at first glance, the backpack was redesigned several times to improve its ergonomics. The students tested different locations for the lamp and the switch, evaluated how to distribute the weight of the solar panel, and created internal compartments to protect the circuit from rain and everyday wear and tear. They even analyzed the ideal size of the panel to prevent the backpack from becoming too heavy. By using lightweight panels and cables, the backpack’s weight is similar to that of a standard model, so the changes go unnoticed.
Looking ahead, the students plan to add more components, such as an Arduino board, an open-source electronics prototyping board, to monitor the lamp’s battery.
Lighting the way for students
“SolarPack” brought about a less visible but equally significant transformation. At the start, many of the students didn’t believe they could advance through the stages of Solve for Tomorrow. They doubted their chances against technical schools, and in some cases, they couldn’t even imagine a future beyond the jobs they knew in their immediate surroundings.
As they overcame each challenge in the program, their perspective began to change. Reaching the finals, flying on an airplane for the first time, and representing their community in Buenos Aires were experiences that tangibly broadened their horizons. “Many students come from more challenging socioeconomic backgrounds; they used to go from home to school or to soccer practice, that was it. This opportunity raised new expectations, opening doors for them,” says the educator.
Some began to consider college or technical degree programs that previously didn’t seem possible. “And there’s one student whose father works in the mine. He always told me he wasn’t going to study anything after finishing school and that he was going to join his father. And now he’s enrolled in a program in occupational health and safety,” she recounts.
For the teacher, that change is one of the project’s main achievements. More than just building a solar backpack, her students discovered that they could envision other paths for their lives.
The essential role of the teacher as a mediator
This was the second time that teacher María Alejandra Zerpa participated in Solve for Tomorrow. For her, what made the difference this time, in reaching the podium, was being able to work more closely with the students throughout the entire process. “I also reflect on this myself. I had to give them a little more independence, and I think that made things harder for them. They were also students from different grades, so they had trouble agreeing on things,” she explains.
The following year, she decided to change her strategy and gave the students the freedom to choose their own groups. The project topics were still chosen by the students, but she recommended that they think carefully about who they would work with. This change allowed her to observe significant differences in the level of engagement and in the groups’ relationship with their teacher’s guidance. The winning team constantly sought her guidance. “They’d say to me, ‘Teacher, come here and take a look’; they consulted me more often,” she says. For her, that openness to dialogue and feedback strengthened the project’s development.
Based on these experiences, the teacher concludes that close guidance from teachers’ support is a decisive factor in the success of such initiatives. “I think that was the key: that they don’t feel alone, that they’re supported from day one,” she emphasizes. Even in moments of exhaustion, she strove to keep the students motivated, encouraging them not to give up and incorporating fun activities into the learning process. “I tried to bring a smile to everything, to tell them, ‘Yes, you can do it, kids, don’t give up,’” she recalls. Through various teaching strategies, she reinforced a conviction she had developed throughout her career: “Communication is essential.”
At Solve for Tomorrow, the concept of a mediator teacher is used. Rather than acting as an instructor who simply presents content, the facilitator uses teachable moments and expands their toolkit to include group activities, encouraging research and the systematization of knowledge, and fostering complementary educational opportunities at school, in the community, and through various active learning methodologies.
Learn more about the project in the following video:
