2027 Kidwind Energy
Art Challenge
KidWind calls upon students anywhere in Kindergarten through 12th grade to create clean energy artwork.
We will announce the 2027 theme August 2026.
Sixteen winners will be selected across Kindergarten-12th grade levels, distributed proportionally based on the number of submissions we receive in each grade.
All artwork must be submitted through the online form between September 1st, 2026 and February 1st, 2027 at 11:59PM Pacific Time. Early submissions are encouraged and may be temporarily displayed on this webpage. Notifications of selection will be announced by March 19th.
We are excited to continue the Energy Art Challenge for the 4th year in a row!
Guidelines
- Participation
- Participation is free!
- Only K-12th grade students may participate.
- Only one submission per student.
- Artwork
- Artwork must speak to the theme outlined above.
- Artwork can be any size, as long as it can be captured in an image for submission. For example, the entirety of 3D art must be displayed in the submitted image.
- Original hand-made artwork only. No digitally created artwork.
- No adult assistance in the creation of the artwork allowed.
- No AI assistance in the creation of the artwork is allowed.
- All hand-made mediums (drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, printmaking, textile arts, etc.) are accepted using any media (pencil, crayon, markers, watercolor, acrylic, linocut, rubber, fabric, foil, etc.) generated by the artist.
- Pre-made illustrations not from the artist cannot be used.
- Mixed media artwork is acceptable (ex. collage and painting together).
- Artist Statement
- Artwork must be accompanied by a short artist statement..
- The statement must be 2-3 sentences long.
- The statement must reflect the student’s own words and ideas. If the student is too young to write or needs help writing, an adult can record what the student says exactly or as closely to what they said as possible.
- The statement can not be generated by artificial intelligence. AI tools (such as ChatGBT, Gemini, or Copilot) cannot be used to write or rewrite any part of the statement.
- Describe your artwork and how it connects to this year's theme.
- Submission
- A teacher, coach, parent, or guardian 18 or older must fill out the form linked below on behalf of the student and provide contact information. The adult can submit applications for an unlimited number of students.
Key Dates
- Submissions Open: September 1, 2026 – February 1, 2027
- Submission Deadline: 11:59 PM PDT on February 1, 2027
- Winners Announced: By March 19, 2027
Selection Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated by grade level and according to the following criteria:
|
CRITERIA |
POINTS |
DESCRIPTION |
|
Guidelines |
1 pt (Yes / No) |
Does it meet all KidWind Art Challenge guidelines? |
|
Theme |
1 pt (Yes / No) |
Does it follow the theme? |
|
Knowledge & Understanding |
5 pts |
Does the artwork display the basics of renewable energy? Does it demonstrate an accurate understanding of how renewable energy works? |
|
Creativity |
3 pts |
Is the artwork well done? Does it have nice color, lines, composition, and content? Does the artwork evoke emotion? Does the quality of the art meet grade level standards |
Awards and Recognition
Sixteen winners will be selected across Kindergarten-12th grade levels, distributed proportionally based on the number of submissions we receive in each grade.
Winners will receive:
- Award
- Artwork displayed on the KidWind Art Challenge webpage.
- Artwork displayed at the 2027 World KidWind Challenge.
Resources & Inspiration to Get You Started
Lesson about the differences between forms and sources of energy to gain an understanding of the main types of energy—kinetic and potential, and the differences between forms of energy, including radiant, thermal, and mechanical.
Explore the other lessons and activities on KidWind’s website! We cover a variety of energy topics including wind, solar, power grid, offshore wind, and energy economics.
Enter your zipcode into this interactive site to learn about the types of energy most used in your region and how your area’s carbon emissions compare to national averages.
Interactive map showing power plants located across the US with interesting data.
Environment America The State of Renewable Energy Dashboard
Interactive dashboard showing the growth of clean energy technology across all 50 states.
Short videos highlighting the basic principles of different types of renewable energy and energy topics including solar, wind, hydro, public transportation, and energy efficiency.
A wide variety of webpages, each dedicated to a different renewable energy source or topic including climate, decarbonization, hydropower, wind, solar, and many more!
Climate Change Artist Nicole Kelner
Watercolor and drawing artist Nicole Kelner creates educational art to inspire climate action.
Questions?
Please email Zella@KidWind.org.