The KidWind Challenge is a student-oriented wind turbine design contest. Students learn about wind energy through designing and constructing their own wind turbines.  The goal is to create a wind turbine that is efficient, creative and highly functional. While designing and constructing the wind turbines, students also perform research to better understand the science of wind, be analytical about testing protocols, think creatively about solutions, and work collaboratively.

Each team's wind tunnel is then evaluated and judged according to three main criteria:

• Turbine Power Performance
• Turbine Construction
• Knowledge of Wind Energy Topics

Each team is awarded an overall score. While turbines are judged and prizes are awarded at the KidWind Challenge, the event, at its core, is about learning. We want to immerse students in the science of how a wind turbine works through the process of design and redesign. Ultimately, the KidWind Challenge engages students in an open-ended competition to build small-scale wind turbines that demonstrate knowledge about the promise and limits of a wind-powered future.

To learn more about the KidWind Challenge, please visit www.kidwind.org.

2013 KidWind Challenge Begins January 1, 2013!

The 2013 KidWind Challenge is scheduled to be held in communities across Alaska throughout the spring. If you are a teacher that has registered teams, please check out the KidWind Challenge Teacher Resource Guide for useful material.

For more information about the KidWind Challenge, please contact Melody Moen at melody.moen@alaska.edu.