Simulation Challenge
During KidWind's annual Simulation Challenge students try their hand at Flinn Scientific’s WhiteBox Learning software constructing simulated wind turbine blades & wind farms!
What is the KidWind Simulation Challenge?
KidWind helps teachers and students creatively explore the science, technology and implications of a world powered by clean energy.
Join KidWind and Flinn Scientific’s WhiteBox Learning (WBL) to try your hand at building a simulated turbine! In this National Challenge, students use the WhiteBox Learning simulation software to construct and test virtual turbines and wind farms.
While learning the software takes a little time, students will not need any of their own materials to participate. The only requirement is an internet-connected computer (tablets are not supported) and the turbine kit we will mail out. View details on system requirements.
Turbine Blade Design and Performance
Students use a simplified CAD program to design complex blades and see how they perform on a KidWind scale turbine in different conditions. Students learn a great deal about airfoils, physics, and other related fields as they design their blades. The material in this part of the simulation can get complex.
Wind Farm Designs
Students design and construct wind farms. They take several factors into account to build a wind farm that produces the most power at the lowest cost.
The simulation is done in a game mode where participants earn points for how well their designs perform, how much they iterate on their designs, and how they do on quizzes. The simulation had 5 levels and it got more challenging to complete each level as students progresses
Blade Construction & Turbine Testing
Students who participate in the Simulation Challenge have the opportunity to apply their knowledge from the software to a physical turbine by participating in the Online KidWind Challenge.
Anyone in the world can participate in the Online Challenge, and winners selected on a quarterly basis will receive an invitation to the World KidWind Challenge.
How it Works
Who can participate?
Registration
An adult educator, coach, or parent must create an account to participate in the National Simulation Challenge. The cost for this account is $25, which you must pay during the registration process. This account holder will then be the primary contact for the National Simulation Challenge and may register up to 25 students. Additional students can be added for $1 per additional student.
Once registered, that account holder will receive an email confirmation. In January, we will provide instructions as well as individual login codes that allow access to the Simulator. If you need to make changes to your registration email Zella@KidWind.org.
Please note: Registration closes February 2nd for the 2026 Simulation Challenge.
Timeline
- November 1st: Registration Opens
- January 1st: Access to WhiteBox Learning Begins
- February 2nd: Registration Closes
- March 16th by 11:59PM Pacific: Challenge Ends
- End of March: Top Performers Recognized
Divisions
There are middle school (6th-8th grades) and high school (9th-12th grades) divisions in the National Simulation Challenge. Students will be scored individually.
Scoring
Simulation Performance
This year, all scores will be individual and solely based on students' performance using the simulation software - there will not be a physical turbine component impacting any Simulation Challenge scores. The majority of the overall score is derived from how well you perform on the simulation based challenges of blade design and wind farm design.
Blade Construction & Turbine Testing
Simulation Challenge participants are welcome to print and test their blades, and submit a physical turbine to the Online Wind Challenge here.
These submissions will be evaluated separately from the Simulation Challenge on a quarterly basis with other Online Wind Challenge projects, and will not impact Simulation Challenge scores.
Leaderboard
As the competition heats up, we will email a bi-weekly leaderboard of the top performers to all participants. We will display and rank all participants by their performance scores.
Prizes
Top performers in the Sim Challenge will receive a gift card to the KidWind Shop.