Costa Rica once again made its mark on the international stage. The team Kura Force, made up of young students from Costa Rica’s Scientific High Schools, amazed judges at the STEM Racing 2025 World Finals held in Singapore, winning two prestigious awards that combined technical precision and social responsibility: “Best Newcomer” and “Amaron Sustainability Showcase.”
With only their first participation, these students positioned Costa Rica as a reference in innovation, sustainability, and inclusive education. The team stood out among more than 80 international competitors for their technical excellence, creativity, and a project that carries deep social meaning.
Kura Force: talent, science, and purpose
Kura Force is composed of students from several Scientific High Schools of Costa Rica, chosen for their academic excellence and passion for applied science. They are the first Central American team to qualify for the global finals of this competition —a milestone that reflects Costa Rica’s progress in STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
After months of multidisciplinary work uniting engineering, design, communication, and project management, their effort was rewarded with the “Best Newcomer” title, which recognizes the top-performing debut team, and the “Amaron Sustainability Showcase,” awarded to the project that best integrates technology with social and environmental purpose.
STEM Racing 4 All: when science becomes inclusive
Their award-winning initiative, STEM Racing 4 All, seeks to let people with visual impairments experience the thrill of Formula 1 racing on a miniature scale. Through a tactile and auditory system designed by the team, participants can perceive speed and track position as small cars race across a 20-meter circuit.
The project is already being implemented at the Helen Keller National Education Center, proving that science can be not only a tool of precision but also one of empathy and social transformation. “We wanted technology to go beyond competition —we wanted it to change lives,” said one of the team members.
The competition and its global scope
The STEM Racing World Finals is one of the most prestigious educational competitions in the world for students aged 9 to 19. Each team designs, builds, and races a compressed-air powered miniature car, applying principles of aerodynamics, physics, programming, and design thinking.
In the 2025 edition, 83 teams from five continents competed, evaluated not only on engineering performance but also on innovation, teamwork, sustainability, and communication.
A triumph that inspires a nation
Kura Force’s success goes beyond the medals. It demonstrates the potential of Costa Rica’s public education system when combined with creativity, perseverance, and teacher mentorship. Organizers described the team’s participation as proof that a small country can produce world-class science with a heart for inclusion.
Educational and scientific leaders praised the team’s achievement as a reflection of a new generation of innovators. “These students didn’t just win awards —they showed that Costa Rican science can make a difference,” said one of the instructors accompanying them.
The future of Costa Rican science
Kura Force’s story is an invitation to strengthen STEM education nationwide, increase institutional and private support, and promote the participation of young people in international scientific competitions. The path toward a more innovative and sustainable Costa Rica begins in classrooms —with projects where technology meets compassion.
Their victory in Singapore is not only a national achievement; it is a reminder that Costa Rican science does not just aim to compete —it aims to transform.
