To inspire students to learn about renewable energy and hone their engineering skills, Vernier supported the 2018 KidWind Challenge, hosted by the KidWind Project. The challenge consists of dozens of local and regional competitions across the country, called KidWind Challenges, during which teams of students test the energy output of wind turbines they design and build. Students also present their design processes to a panel of judges and participate in short design or problem-solving tasks called “Instant Challenges.”

Teams that take top place at local challenges are invited to the National KidWind Challenge. This year, almost 300 students in grades 4–12 from across the country traveled to Chicago, Illinois, for the National KidWind Challenge on May 8–10, 2018. The event, held during the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) WINDPOWER 2018 Conference & Exhibition, hosted a total of 21 high school and 40 middle school teams competing for the chance to win the grand prize of $750, the second place prize of $500, and the third place prize of $250.

The 2018 National KidWind Challenge Champions are

High School Division:

• First Place – Redwood Express from Bath County High School in Hot Springs, Va.
• Second Place – Tuttle Windy’s from Tuttle High School in Tuttle, Okla.
• Third Place (Tie) – Silver Bullet from Coachella Valley High School in Thermal, Calif.
• Third Place (Tie) – iTurbine X from Old Donation School in Virginia Beach, Va.

Middle School Division:

• First Place – Oxford Air Sharks from Oxford Middle School in Oxford, Kan.
• Second Place – SPINNERS from Lanier Middle School in Fairfax, Va.
• Third Place – The Birds from Darlington Elementary-Middle School in Darlington, Wis.

Learn more about the 2018 National KidWind Challenge and how to get involved »