Welcome to the KidWind Challenge!
The KidWind Challenge is an exciting opportunity for students to explore the power of wind! Teams will build their own wind turbine and test it for efficiency and energy production. The goal is to engage young minds in stimulating and challenging hands-on activities that teach basic science and engineering principles.
The KidWInd Challenge is presented by Willow Bend Environmental Education Center in collaboration with the City of Flagstaff Sustainability Program.
KidWind Challenge Goals
- To get students excited about the promise and opportunities of renewable energy—specifically wind power—and its relationship to global climate change.
- To foster opportunities for students to build, test, explore, and understand wind energy technology at a manageable scale.
- To get students—particularly girls and underrepresented populations—excited about careers in STEM fields related to renewable energy.
- To build the capacity of teachers, coaches, and other educators to better understand wind energy technology and development, as well as its promise and limitations.
- To connect students to mentors and role models in the renewable energy industry.
Participation
Any group of students in 4th-12th grade is eligible to enter a Team in the KidWind Challenge. Teams can include students from public and private schools, home schoolers, after school clubs, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, etc. As long as you have an adult coach, you can participate! Each Team can have 2-5 students, and the Team must have an adult mentor. The mentor will be responsible for registering the team for the competition and managing the team’s progress.
Register for the KidWind Challenge in this FORM.
Timeline
Registration for participating in the KidWInd Challenge runs from mid-November to mid-January. As soon as a Team is signed up, they can begin planning their turbine design. The KidWind Challenge culminates in a wind turbine presentation and test at the Flagstaff Youth Climate Summit in April.
Materials
Please download and review this document if you are participating in the KidWind Challenge:
- KidWind Challenge Guidebook: This document details challenge guidelines, from registering to testing. Specific challenge guidelines are on pages 9-21.
- Willow Bend Environmental Education Center supplies teams with generators for their wind turbine designs. We also supply a watt-meter and resistor board to use in testing so teams can test while they’re building. Please contact us if additional supplies are needed (supplies are limited).
Willow Bend Environmental Education Center contact information
Melissa Eckstrom
melissa@willowbendcenter.org
928-779-1745
Teachers
Are you interested in the KidWind Challenge but unable to attend the Flagstaff Youth Climate Summit? Instead of entering the challenge, your students can compete on their own terms in REcharge Labs’ renewable energy design competitions. Completely online, each competition is hosted monthly, open 24/7/365 worldwide. Form a team, design a wind device, and upload your data. Online competitions include a Wind Turbine Design. Visit their website for more details. http://www.rechargelabs.org/online-challenge.
This is a completely separate competition conducted online and does not include materials supplied by Willow Bend. Additionally, teams participating in the REcharge lab's online competitions are not eligible for prizes or awards at the Flagstaff Youth Climate Summit.
Flagstaff Youth Climate Summit
The Flagstaff Youth Climate Summit is a one-day gathering in April at The Arboretum of Flagstaff that brings together young climate leaders, and serve as the culminating event of the Solar Structure Challenge. The Summit includes project presentations from participants in the Climate Action Challenge, the KidWind Challenge, and the Solar Structure Challenge.
The Summit will include:
- Chances to tackle one of the world’s most pressing problems with other Flagstaff and Coconino County youth climate leaders
- Exposure to wind and solar energy engineering projects
- A keynote speaker and panel discussion
- Leadership and sustainability workshops
- Project evaluations and award presentations
- And fun!
The Summit is a collaborative effort among the City of Flagstaff Sustainability Program, The Arboretum at Flagstaff, and Willow Bend Environmental Education Center.