The KidWind Challenge
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Congratulations to the 2024 Kansas KidWind State Finals winners!

KidWindNationals 2023

 

Regional KidWind Challenge Winners compete in State Finals

The winners of the 2024 Kansas KidWind Regional Challenges headed to the State Finals on April 13 in Salina. The field of contenders included 12 teams in the 4th- 8th grade division and 10 teams from the 9-12th grade division. Each team was either a first or second place winner in their age group at their regional challenge. The State Finals determine which teams qualify to represent Kansas at the World KidWind Challenge in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

4th-8th Grade Division Winners 9th-12th Grade Division Winners
Hutch STEM Blue – STEM Magnet School Cru Winds – Buhler High School
Black Bears – Sterling Jr./Sr. High School White Chicks & Deryn – Sterling Jr./Sr. High School
Beloit Breeze Club – Beloit Junior High School Burlington Wind Co. – Burlington High School
4 Wind Guys – Beloit Junior High School D.I. Wires – Paola High School
Team Sky Wings – McPherson Middle School The Rising Sun – Ulysses High School
Burlington Middle School – Burlington Middle School Big Blue Sky – Dighton High School
Wind Warriors – Kepley Middle School W2 – Oakley High School
Men in Black – Kepley Middle School Gentle Breeze – Oakley High School
Neon Ninjas – Oakley Middle School Wind Warriors Cordelius – Olathe West High School
Power Winders – Oakley Middle School Olathe West – Olathe West High School
Voyagers – Clear Creek Middle School  
Seriously Speedy Spinners – Mize Elementary School  

 

About KidWind

The KidWind Challenge is a fun way for students to explore the power of wind by building and testing wind turbines and then competing in a supportive environment. However, KidWind isn’t just about wind energy. It’s also about STEM and all the life skills that derive from the practical application of STEM in our lives – problem solving, teamwork, and scientific measurement, to name a few.

The KidWind Challenge takes place each spring and is open to students in grades 4-12. Teams comprised of 3-5 students and an adult coach build a turbine before attending a regional KidWind Challenge event where they compete against other teams. Teams are judged on a number of factors, including turbine speed, design, and knowledge of wind dynamics. The regional winners advance to the KidWind state competition where the top teams are selected to represent Kansas at the National KidWind Challenge. Teams can come from public schools, private schools, home schools, after-school clubs, etc. Check out the video below to learn more.

Costs and Equipment

The KidWind Challenge has no registration fee. The only costs are for supplies to build a turbine. A KidWind Generator from Vernier ($7.00) is required and can be purchased online or you can call the Kansas Energy Program (KEP). They will supply one per team.

To help your team prepare for competition, KEP will loan out wind tunnels upon request for teams to test and experiment with their turbines. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to borrow a wind tunnel. Not sure how to setup or takedown the tunnel? Here are some videos to help. 

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