Crook County students competed as their homemade wind turbines are put to the test in a wind tunnel. The Prineville KidWind Challenge was open to all Crook County middle and high school students, and registration was free thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Facebook Prineville Data Center 2014 Local Community Action Grants.
Crook Countystudents are geared up for the KidWind Challenge, which was held at Crook County Middle School December 13. The student-driven wind turbine design contest broguht together approximately 90 middle school kids on 25 teams, who competed for cash prizes and bragging rights as their homemade turbines were put through the paces in a high-powered portable wind tunnel.
The KidWind Challenge is designed to promote the excitement of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to students through real-life experience. Last year’s inaugural KidWind Challenge Prineville—which was the first in Oregon and attended by students across the state—was so successful that it spawned five other local Challenges in 2014. The winners of each local Challenge will meet in Portland in April 2015 for a regional Challenge.
The Prineville KidWind Challenge was open to all Crook County middle and high school students, and registration was free thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Facebook Prineville Data Center 2014 Local Community Action Grants. Facebook also was the initial supporter of the 2013 KidWind Challenge in Oregon.
Wind turbine design has now been integrated into the local science curriculum, as students explore force and motion.
“We are very excited to have the KidWind Challenge return to Prineville. These kids have worked very hard, and this competition is such an exciting way for them to show their work to the Crook County community,” said Crook County Middle School science teacher Fred Hisaw, who originally initiated bringing the KidWind Challenge to Prineville and successfully applied for Facebook grants in 2013 and 2014.
“And while turbines are judged and prizes are awarded, this event is really about learning. The process of design and redesign that each student and team has gone through is invaluable,” added Hisaw.
“Wind energy is such an important clean and sustainable energy source, and we are happy to once again support this great event, which really fires kids up about STEM and gives them important hands-on experience,” said Ristine Williams, Site Coordinator at the Facebook Prineville Data Center. “We can’t wait to see the kids proudly demonstrate their turbines and talk to the judges about their designs.”
The competition consists of the student-built turbines going head to head. Once deemed safe by the judges, each team will subject their turbine to a high-powered wind tunnel. The teams will be judged by three main criteria:
• Turbine power performance
• Turbine construction
• Knowledge of wind energy topics
