In an era where renewable energy plays a major role in a sustainable future, educational initiatives like KidWind Challenges are increasingly relevant. These practical design challenges get students involved in meaningful conversations about renewable energy through the exploration of wind and solar power. In teams, middle and high school students globally engage in designing, building, and testing small-scale wind turbines and solar structures, deepening their understanding and investment in renewable energy.

Not only are KidWind Challenges dynamic and fun, but they also integrate practical engineering skills with abstract scientific principles, allowing students to apply their classroom knowledge in a real-world context. As students refine their wind turbines, they must collaborate with their team members to analyze, evaluate, refine, and test out their designs.

Students have the opportunity to think outside the box and get creative, like this team from Alaska who built their wind turbine blades out of whale baleen!

Explore All the Ways KidWind Can Challenge Students in Engineering and Design

State and Regional KidWind Challenges: These are held across various regions, offering local middle and high school students the opportunity to participate in similar wind turbine design competitions. Winners often advance to the national or international level. Find your local challenge.

KidWind Online Challenges: Recognizing the limitations of in-person events, KidWind also offers virtual challenges. All you need to do is build a wind or solar device, collect data, and then upload it to the web.

KidWind Simulation Challenges: The KidWind Simulation Challenge started during COVID as a way for students to participate in a fully virtual wind challenge. Using software, students design complex blades and evaluate their performance and design and build a simulated wind farm. 

World KidWind Challenge: The World KidWind Challenge brings together top performing student teams from the year’s State, Regional, and Online KidWind Challenges from around the world, challenging them to design, build, and test the most efficient, innovative wind turbines. The 2024 World KidWind Challenge will be held May 5–8 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Educator Workshops: Join KidWind for topic-specific, renewable energy workshops. Whether in-person or virtual, these dynamic workshops include the distribution of materials and grow content knowledge while also exploring teacher-approved, hands-on K–12 lessons.

Make an Impact on Renewable Energy Awareness

KidWind Challenges play a crucial role in promoting awareness and understanding of renewable energy and climate change in middle and high school students. Just last year, more than 260 schools and 3,000 students participated in state and regional Kidwind Challenges.

According to KidWind CEO Michael Arquin, it’s critical to prepare students early to enter the exponentially growing renewable energy workforce. “Solving the climate crisis will require us to nurture every student who has interest and we will need all skills––construction, manufacturing, law, finance––you name it. We need all students to understand why clean energy is important and give everyone the opportunity to understand and participate in this new and exciting opportunity.”

Prepare the Next Generation of the Renewable Energy Workforce

In their new state Energy Master Plan, New Jersey has committed to transitioning to 100% clean energy by 2035—much of that coming from offshore wind energy. 

As a part of KidWind’s commitment to prepare the next generation of the renewable energy workforce, they have partnered with local New Jersey industry and state organizations to launch a comprehensive outreach program designed to help students understand and explore offshore wind energy and future career opportunities. 

In addition to developing new K–12 materials for this initiative, KidWind is also holding teacher training workshops focused on offshore wind energy as well as hosting new KidWind challenges locally in New Jersey. Find out more about this initiative!

Bring KidWind Challenges to You

If there are no regional KidWind Challenges in your area, you can bring KidWind to you. To learn more about how to build a KidWind Challenge in your area, reach out to KidWind.

---

Explore KidWind products and find out more about how Vernier supports renewable energy education. Questions? We’re here to help! Reach out to support@vernier.com or call 888-837-6437.