KidWind Challenge Organizer Resource Center
Plan a Workshop
Workshops are planned to help educators gain the knowledge, tools, and confidence needed to successfully incorporate renewable energy STEM concepts into their classroom. We also have an added goal of encouraging educators to prepare students to participate in an upcoming Challenge.
There are three main barriers to teachers and students participating in a KidWind Challenge:
- Materials
- Time
- Knowledge
The workshops are designed to help teachers improve their experience and knowledge and to get them a pile of materials. We like to make sure that every teacher who comes to a workshop walks away with some kind of turbine that they know how to use. Get a feel for what happens during a wind workshop.
How is a workshop structured?
There are three basic models for workshops: After school meeting, half day workshop, or full day workshop.
After School Meeting: 1-2 hours
This a shorter meeting typically held for coaches who already have experience with KidWind gear and may have already been to a KidWind Challenge. The goal is to cover any rule updates and logistics for the coming event. Watch this webinar to see some of the basics.
Half Day Workshop: 9am-1pm
We often hold Saturday morning workshops to help new coaches get a better feel for what happens at a Challenge. The goal of this type of workshop is to help teachers construct basic classroom turbines, experiment with blade design and turbine systems, and do some basic data collection. These workshops should be hands-on so that the educators experience what students may do in their classrooms. You will want to have a box fan or wind tunnel set-up with data collection hardware so that those in attendance can have the full experience!
Once they have explored turbine building and blade design, we can then share tips for getting students ready for the Challenge and logistics about attendance at the local event.
Check out a sample agenda for a half day workshop.
Full Day Workshop
In some locations we are able to hold full day workshops either on a weekend or during the week during a professional development day. These longer workshops build on the half day but then can dig more deeply into power, energy, or siting issues. You may also want to do an additional hands-on activity like sail cars or the MacGyver Challenge.
Check out a sample agenda for a full day workshop.
What materials do I need for the workshop?
When facilitating a workshop where there are many first time coaches, we build PVC turbines during the workshop so that every attendee can at least leave with a ready-to-use turbine. Here is a plan for building a PVC turbine. You will need these materials:
You may also want to take a look at these videos that explore wind energy activities across the different grade levels: