The Kidwind Challenge is the culminating event for a long term design and engineering project for students in grades 6 through 12 where they work in small engineering teams to design, build and test working model wind turbines. During the KidWind Challenge the young engineers demonstrate and test their turbines in a wind tunnel and discuss their design process with panels of judges. It is a busy and fun day where students have opportunities to share their projects and meet and learn from other students from around the state. The winning teams are invited to participate in the National KidWind Challenge in Colorado in May. There is a lot of excitement for this event as this is the first time that we have held the Maine KidWInd Challenge since the pandemic.

UMaine Advanced Structures & Composite Center (home of Maine’s offshore wind research & development) will be on hand with information and activities.

Our keynote speaker will be Tagwongo Obomsawin, the Clean Energy Partnership Program Manager at the Governor’s Energy Office – overseeing the program which is focused on growing clean energy workforce development and innovation to support the State’s economic and climate goals. 

Agenda

9:00 am Welcome & Opening Remarks

9:30 Wind Tunnel Testing & Judging begin

12:30 Keynote Presentation

2:00 pm Wind TurbineTesting and Judging end. 

2:30 pm Results, Wrap up and Awards        

Open Testing in the wind tunnel runs from 9:30 until 12:00 and from 1:00 until the wind turbine judging/presentation schedule ends. Each team should try to have three official test runs during this time frame. 

Student Presentations take place from 9:30 until 2:00pm.