Wind Energy Contest Picks Middle and High School Winners

After 35 teams consisting of middle and high school students built and tested handcrafted wind turbines, KidWind has picked the winners of its national challenge, designed to increase awareness and interest in clean energy engineering.

The competition took place on April 26 during Washington DC’s USA Science & Engineering Festival, and brought together 138 students from across the nation. Wind Surfers from DeAnza Academy of Technology and the Arts (DATA) in Ventura, CA won the middle school division and the Blade Runners from Copley High School in Copley, OH took home the high school title. Both teams were awarded a $1,000 cash prize.

In the end, the Wind Surfers and Blade Runners generated the energy outputs of 128 Joules and 153.4 Joules respectively, when tested in a special wind tunnel. A Joule is a unit of energy described as the amount of energy required to lift a small apple vertically through one meter of air. Middle and high school second place winners generated 122.9 Joules and 76.7 Joules respectively and won $500 each.

Additionally, KidWind awarded two coaches with $500 worth of equipment. Pocket Monsters Coach Lynn Shellenberger from Adams Spanish Immersion School in Saint Paul, MN was selected for the middle school division and Blades of Glory Coach Chris Freeman from Kellam High School in Virginia Beach, VA won the high school division.

"The National KidWind Challenge was the perfect culminating event to a successful season," said KidWind founder Michael Arquin in a statement. "It gave students a way to express their passion for clean energy through the spirit of competition and the opportunity to win prizes for their achievements."

About the Author

Stephen Noonoo is an education technology journalist based in Los Angeles. He is on Twitter @stephenoonoo.

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