Bringing Tradition and Technology Together: A UNM–Zuni High School Solar Energy Collaboration that bridges K-16 education

Senior students from the University of New Mexico's Photovoltaic class have launched a peer-to-peer teaching and design initiative in collaboration with Zuni Pueblo High School, aiming to bring solar energy awareness and engineering design thinking into the heart of the native New Mexico community.

The collaboration centers on a peer-to-peer teaching model, where UNM students guide Zuni high schoolers through real-world design projects that explore electrical consumption, fundamentals of solar renewable energy, empowering Zuni students to make informed decisions on how to reduce household electrical bills, a bill that is usually unsustainable for many families living on the pueblo.

Through weekly virtual classes and monthly field trips in both directions, Zuni students visiting the University of New Mexico’s facilities, and UNM students visiting Zuni High School, the collaboration fosters cross-cultural exchange and builds a foundation of trust, learning, and mentorship. At the core of the experience is a student-led design project that aligns the NGSS-aligned K-12 curriculum with the secondary education engineering design process.

UNM students are developing their professional communication and presentation skills as they translate complex photovoltaic concepts into accessible learning modules. In turn, Zuni students gain exposure to STEM pathways, hands-on energy concepts, and leadership through their own community-based projects. In doing so, the initiative explicitly honors Zuni traditions, prioritizing cultural values over rigid technology demands, and encouraging students to see solar energy not just as a technical solution, but as a community-driven opportunity. Indeed, the most valuable contribution to the project comes from the high school students’ participation. Thanks to them, the UNM senior students, future engineers, ‘’will develop a set of soft skills, such as mentorship and community engagement, that will be needed in their professional careers’’

This initiative reflects a model of sustainable education, where clean energy knowledge, community relevance, and equitable access converge to shape the next generation of engineers and energy-conscious citizens.

By accepting diversities, respecting tradition, and providing hands-on educational experiences, this program is a model for how universities and Indigenous communities can co-create opportunities that are both technologically forward and culturally grounded, and provide expertise within their respective communities and embracing the sense of respect, a foundation for creating an inclusive community for the future generations.