We are about three weeks out until our Kidwind Challenge event at Cal Maritime! That event is planned for 9 am -3pm on Saturday, Feb. 4. 

 

This event has a few updated to the standard Kidwind Rulebook. 

The major changes are:

There will be a 3 ft by 3 ft wind tunnel (as opposed to the 4 ft by 4 ft one mentioned in the rule book)

For scoring, we are doing a very simple breakdown:

1. 60% Energy Capture (the test in the tunnel)
2. 40 % Turbine Design (evaluation of students’ design by our judges)

 

Regarding the turbine design, it will be based on the interview with the judges described in the document. The only required written documentation is the project profile form included in the rule book (students can choose either the ‘Novice’ or ‘Advanced’ version of this form). However, any additional documentation (notebooks, drawings, videos, power points) could also be brought into the interview to share with the judges. This is highly encouraged and could help improve the Turbine Design score.

 

Let us know if you have any further questions @ TNordenholz@csum.edu

What is the KidWind Challenge?

It’s a Clean Energy Design and Build Competition that allows students to explore clean energy through hands-on, STEM competitions that take place at regional, state, and national levels. If you have creative students who love to tinker and problem solve or are interested in engineering, electricity, or alternative energy, the KidWind Challenge is a great opportunity!

How do the competitions work?

This year's challenge will be a KidWind Challenge where student teams design, build, test, and revise wind turbines prior to attending our regional KidWind Challenge.

At the challenge, student teams will test the energy output of their turbines in a wind tunnel while their turbine is connected to a 30 ohm resistor. The top two scoring teams from each age division will qualify for the National KidWind Challenge.

Who can participate?

Any students ranging from 4th-12th grade are welcome. There is no restriction on team size, but 3 to 5 students per team is recommended. Student teams can be public, private, or home school students, students in after-school clubs and community organizations (such as 4-H or Scouts). Students can also enter individually.

How long does it last?

Each KidWind Challenge is an all-day competition (typically 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m).