Giving Students in Northern Norway an Extra Boost

April 27 ^th 2026 - 15:48 [GMT + 2]

Giving Students in Northern Norway an Extra Boost

Secondary school pupils get to design the trophies for the best young rider during the Arctic Race of Norway. The aim is to spark greater curiosity about the opportunities within technology, design and innovation.

Inspiring

Through the school trophy competition, pupils at 10 schools along the route of this year’s Arctic Race of Norway have been able to take on a task that requires a combination of creativity and knowledge of technology and STEM subjects.

The four best ideas will be turned into trophies to be awarded to the best young rider on the different stages.

The competition is a collaboration between Arctic Race of Norway, Equinor and Vitensenter Nordland, and aims to make young people more curious about STEM subjects and the many opportunities within technology, design and innovation.

Jury chair Laila Iren Hansen from Vitensenter Nordland has followed the schools closely and says it has been inspiring to see how purposefully the pupils have worked.

– We’ve seen a maker spirit and determined effort that are truly impressive. The possibility that the prototype could become a real trophy has given the pupils an extra boost – and you can tell in the quality, says Jakobsen.

Meaningful Learning Experiences

The trophies will receive their final design in collaboration with the Fagskolen i Nord (Nord vocational college) before being 3D-printed at AM North in Hammerfest — a new value chain that Equinor has helped develop in Northern Norway.

Grete Birgitte Haaland, Director of Exploration and Production North at Equinor, believes the competition shows how the Arctic Race of Norway also serves as a platform for collaboration between business, education and local communities.

– Equinor has had operations in Northern Norway for 50 years, and will contribute to value creation for the next 50 years. Through the school trophy competition and the Arctic Race, we want to inspire young people to explore technology and STEM subjects. Sparking curiosity early is an investment in tomorrow’s solutions — and in the people who will create them — which can help ensure the right skills and competence in the north going forward, says Haaland.

Relevant for Working Life

The work on the trophies is intended to give pupils experience with design processes similar to those used in working life.

Helene Klæbo Møllersen, Head of Communication at Vitensenter Nordland, believes the competition is a good example of how schools, science centres and community stakeholders can create meaningful learning experiences together.

– When pupils get to work in an exploratory and creative way with real-world challenges, both motivation and learning outcomes increase, says Møllersen.

More Than a Bike Race

Managing Director Tom Høgli of Arctic Race of Norway is impressed by how the pupils have tackled the task:

– This competition shows that the Arctic Race of Norway is far more than a bike race. It is also an arena for collaboration, learning and community development. The trophies the pupils have developed reflect both the strengths of the region and the values the Arctic Race of Norway is built on. Here, young creativity, local identity and new technology come together in a wonderful way, says Høgli.

Participating Schools

Pupils at the following schools took part:

• Evenes School
• Myre School
• Andenes School
• Risøyhamn School
• Bø Lower Secondary School
• Melbu School
• Stokmarknes School
• Narvik School
• Skjomen School
• Skånland School