Student Team from Beloit Junior/Senior High School Earns National Recognition in KidWind Competition

A student team from Beloit Junior/Senior High School earned national recognition for their knowledge of wind energy, including the design and construction of a competition wind turbine, at the National KidWind Challenge held last week in San Antonio, Texas.

The team Gerald La Turbina from Beloit received the Judges Award.  Student team members are Charlie Burke, Luke Cheney, Jayc Darnall and Joel Rexroat.  The team is coached by Christie Fouts.

To qualify for the event, teams had to place first or second in their age bracket in their regional competition and first, second, or third in the state final.  Scoring is based on turbine performance, a knowledge quiz, an instant challenge, and a presentation to judges in which the team explains its design process.  Teams awarded the Judges Award at the state final were extended a special invitation by national organizers to participate in the San Antonio event.

“KidWind is a fantastic hands-on opportunity that allows students to tinker and experiment with wind turbine designs.  They experience the thrill of scientific discovery as their designs are validated through performance testing, and they hone their public-speaking skills as they present their turbine design to a panel of judges,” explained David Carter, Director of the Kansas Energy Program at K-State Engineering Extension.

The Kansas KidWind Challenge has grown from one regional challenge with 56 students in 2016 to six regional events with 196 student participants in 2022.