KidWind Challenge at Tech
Cedar Creek School students trailblazing the recent KidWind Challenge while bringing home major awards are (above from left) David Lopez Alvarado, Dallas Gouedy, Anders McGehee and Evan Lancaster, third place overall in the Wind Turbine Challenge. Below, from left, are Evelyn Mills, Saanvi Patel, Jorgia Holladay, and Chloe Jackson, Sailcar Challenge winners. Leader photos by Cathi Cox-Boniol
Thanks to a rich collaborative partnership within the SCILS Region 8 LASTEM Center at Louisiana Tech University, Louisiana recently hosted its first KidWind Challenge.
“We have been working on this event for close to a year now,” said Missy Wooley, SCILS assistant director. “ Having worked with KidWind last summer to offer a student camp and teacher professional development, we knew they would be a strong partner in making this happen. And they did not disappoint.”
The KidWind Challenge is a hands-on design celebration that engages students through the lens of wind and solar energy. Student teams design, construct and test small scale wind turbines and solar structures at events all over the world.
“KidWind is so excited to have held our first ever Louisiana KidWind Challenge through the SCILS Center and hosted in Monroe,”said Michael Arquin, KidWind’s director and founder. “We look forward to our ongoing partnership and expanding educational opportunities in this region of Louisiana.”
SCILS partner University of Louisiana at Monroe was tapped as the host site for the event in order to make it more accessible for schools and organizations throughout the rural Louisiana Delta. Held in the beautiful Bayou Pointe facility on the ULM campus and sponsored through funding by Pattern Energy, the event provided teams of middle grades students the opportunity to create and test wind turbines, build sail cars and compete in a MacGyver Chal-lenge.
17 teams competed with two teams from Ruston’s Cedar Creek School included.
“Witnessing students encounter a new experience and show success through teamwork, creativity, and determination made the KidWind Challenge so rewarding,” said Stacy Doyal Hunt, Cedar Creek college and career counselor. “Each group realized that not only was it okay to try again, but it’s necessary in order to move forward as they repeatedly found ways to improve their wind turbine and car creations. I hope we see the KidWind Challenge become an annual event attended by students from more schools every year.”
Cedar Creek Team #1 took third place overall and with it earned an opportunity to attend the World KidWind Challenge to be held in Minneapolis in May. In addition, Cedar Creek Team #2 won the Sailcar competition.
Dr. Anne Case Hanks, Director of ULM’s School of Science and Associate Professor for Atmospheric Science, was on the planning team for the event and expressed the importance of providing such opportunities for students throughout the area.
“The KidWind Challenge brings science and engineering to life and challenges students to use engineering design,” Case Hanks added. “ Opportunities like this help to excite students in STEM. This event would not be possible without Pattern Energy and the SCILS partnership with Louisiana Tech.”
The presence of Pattern Energy and its investment in the event highlighted the importance of allowing students to expand their understanding of 21st century jobs related to renewable energy. In addition, the experience provided the students an opportunity to deepen an interest and develop a skill set that can equip and empower them to pursue jobs within an industry already gaining traction in Louisiana.
“We had a great experience at the Louisiana KidWind Challenge,” said Tracey Williamson. “ We were happy to represent Pattern Energy and see for ourselves what a positive and enriching event this was for the students.”
The SCILS team is committed to strengthening its commitment to and partnership with KidWind moving forward. Currently recruiting high school students as guests with the IPF Offshore Energy Conference in New Orleans in April, the team is open to leveraging the robust partnership to further expand opportunities that can open doors and enhance quality of life for communities across North Louisiana.
“The partnership with ULM, Pattern Energy, and KidWind has given the students we serve a first row seat to opportunities to learn more about alternative energy sources and associated employment opportunities emerging,” said Lindsey Keith- Vincent, associate dean for research, outreach and innovation in the Louisiana Tech College of Education and Human Sciences where the SCILS hub is housed. “By presenting information to learners at a younger age, we have an opportunity to better prepare them to identify and pursue new, exciting, and impactful STEM fields that can lead to future finances as well as personal and professional fulfillment.”
