KidWind

Clean PowerED West Virginia: Education & Leadership Cohort
2025-05-01 - 2026-04-30 | Grant and Mineral Counties, West Virginia, Grant and Mineral Counties, WV, United States
Clean PowerED West Virginia is an educational leadership program led by the KidWind Project, with support from Toyota and Clearway Energy. This 12-month program is designed to help educators from Grant and Mineral Counties, West Virginia integrate clean energy education into their classrooms and schools.
Up to five educators—both formal and informal—will be selected to participate. They will receive training, materials, and support from KidWind to bring clean energy concepts to life in their classrooms. Participants will also have access to regional experts, curricular resources, and a range of tools to support their success.
After completing their training, educators will be required to organize at least one outreach event to share clean energy education with their peers. This could include hosting a training session, attending a regional education conference, organizing a KidWind Challenge, or leading another project that excites them.
Program Details:

APRIL 7, 2025 – APPLICATIONS CLOSE
APRIL 15, 2025 – Decision notifications
MAY 2025 – Orientation webinar
JULY 2025 – Attend 5 Day REcharge Academy at Macalester College in Saint Paul, MN
AUGUST 2025 – Classroom & Outreach Planning
FALL /WINTER/SPRING 2025-26 – Monthly meetings
APRIL 2026 – Share success stories about program

Participants Will Receive:

$3,000 stipend (paid in four installments) per teacher
Full Tuition, Lodging and Travel to the 2025 REcharge Academy
$1,000 materials budget per teacher to procure classroom resources
Access to leading subject matter experts in the region, as well as coaching from the KidWind Team

4th Annual Maryland Regional KidWind Challenge
2026-03-07 08:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | University of Maryland, College Park, Calvert Road, College Park, MD, 20740, United States
Maryland KidWind will be hosting its 4th Annual Regional KidWind Challenge on Saturday, March 7, 2026 from 9am to 4pm at the University of Maryland College Park in the College of Education’s Benjamin Building. Doors will open at 8am for open tunnel and solar testing.

2026 Wisconsin KidWind Challenge
2026-03-07 08:30 - 16:30 (America/Chicago) | Discovery Building at UW-Madison, 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI, 53726, United States
The KidWind Challenge is a hands-on renewable energy competition that engages students in STEM. Student teams bring small-scale wind turbines or solar devices that they’ve designed to the Challenge where they will be tested for power output. Teams also meet with a panel of expert judges to present their design process and demonstrate their contextual knowledge and tackle instant challenge activities. The public is welcome to spectate, cheer on the teams, compete in a “friends and family blade building challenge” and engage in hands-on science activities at a Renewable Energy Expo during the event.
The WI KidWind Challenge is free and open to the public.

What happens at the Wisconsin KidWind Challenge?
At the Challenge, student teams will:

Test their turbine or solar device’s energy output
Present in front of a panel of expert judges
Complete instant challenges that test teamwork and hands-on problem solving
Hear from college students studying renewable energy and competing in the Collegiate Wind Competition
Engage with a dozen hands-on science stations related to clean energy and climate
Explore careers in clean energy

Friends, family, and spectators are welcome and encouraged to come support competing teams. The challenge will begin with an opening ceremony at 9:00 am and wrap up with awards at 3:00 pm.

Who can participate in the Challenge?
Any group of students in grades 3-12 is eligible to enter a team. This includes students from public and private schools, home schoolers, after school clubs, Scout troops, etc. As long as you have a coach and a team, you can attend! Teams of 3-5 students seem to work best.
Each team must have a coach. The coach will be responsible for registering the team for the competition and managing the team’s progress. Neither KidWind nor the Wisconsin Energy Institute will provide or be responsible for supervision of students at a Challenge event.

Is there a cost?
No. The Challenge is free to compete in and attend.

Top performers will be invited to the 2026 World KidWind Challenge.

Power Grid 101
2026-03-07 11:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86729444433
Power Grid 101
Join us for a three-hour virtual workshop to explore the science of the power grid!
During this virtual workshop, educators will learn the foundations of energy and the how the power grid works. We will discuss the history of the power grid and the role of different forms of power in producing energy, as well as the consequences for the future of energy generation in the U.S. We will also introduce activities for the classroom that engage students in dynamic, hands-on energy-based learning.
All teachers who pre-register will receive a $150 kit before the 3 hour virtual training and we will go through how to use these materials in the classroom.
This workshop has self guided and in-person components.
Some things to know:

Workshop cost is $250.
This workshop and the materials used are geared towards middle school and high school teachers.
No prior knowledge on the power grid is required.
You will need a stable internet connection and dedicated space in which to work.
We will ship you a box of material 4-7 days before the workshop.
Preservice and retired teachers are welcome!

Registration closes February 21st so you receive materials prior to the workshop.
Use code VWKS101CREATE at check-out to reduce the cost to just $50. That’s $200 off! Please note that only U.S. STEM educators who have not taken this workshop before and also teach students in 6th grade and above and are eligible for this discount. There are limited discount uses available, so register today!
Educators that have taken this workshop before can attend it for free if they do not wish to receive materials. Email Sarah at Sarah@KidWind.org if you wish to attend without receiving materials. If you have taken this workshop before and wish to receive materials, you must pay the full non-discounted cost of the workshop.

Teachers are eligible for 3 contact hours of professional development credit upon request after completion of this workshop. Those wishing to receive contact hours must attend the entirety of the webinar, and we ask that they have their camera on if possible. Please email Sarah at Sarah@KidWind.org after completion of the webinar if you would like to request a certificate of contact hours completed.
