NAVIGATING WORLDS
Learn about what to expect at Worlds & find important details about the schedule, lodging, meals, parking, and necessary forms for attendees!
Schedule By Day
Saturday, May 15th
Arrival Day!
We encourage teams that have difficult travel routes to arrive on Saturday.
Sunday, May 16th
Check-In & Testing Day! 12pm - 5pm
12:00pm - 5:00pm Check-in
1:00pm - 4:00pm Open Wind Tunnel & Solar Testing
- Run your turbine through any of the wind tunnels and test your solar home under our competition solar testing rig.
Teams can leave their turbines and solar homes at their team tables overnight.
Here's what you can expect at check-in:
- Coaches will check-in with our KidWind Team to let us know you arrived. Woohoo!
- Find your team's assigned table & get started assembling/constructing your wind turbine and/or solar home.
- Check out the goodies and materials related to the competition on your team table.
- Run your turbine through any of the wind tunnels for pre-competition tunnel testing.
- Test your solar home under our competition solar testing rig.
Pro tip: The earlier you arrive, the faster you'll get your turbine set-up, and the more tests you'll get in before the competition begins on Monday!
Monday, May 17th
Competition Day 1! 8am - 6pm
8:00am Doors Open
9:00am - 10:00am World KidWind Challenge Kick-Off
10:00am - 6:00pm Competition Elements
- All Day
- Wind Tunnel Testing
- Solar Home Testing
- Scheduled
- Judges Presentations
- Instant Challenges
Tuesday, May 18th
Competition Day 2! 8am - 6pm
8:00am Doors Open
9:00am - 6:00pm Competition Elements
- All Day
- Wind Tunnel Testing
- Solar Home Testing
- Scheduled
- Judges Presentations
- Instant Challenges
Wednesday, May 19th
Closing Day! 8am - 3pm
8:00am Doors Open
9:00am - 11:30am Judges Callbacks (for top teams in the MS and HS divisions) & Final Tunnel Testing
1:30pm - 3:00pm Awards Ceremony
3:00pm - 3:30pm Breakdown & Pack Up
We suggest you book lodging close to the competition venue.
We will share hotel block details by February 2027.
We will share details about meal options by February 2027.
Be sure you complete the following before coming to Worlds!
- Place at an In-Person KidWind Challenge or Online Challenge and receive an official invitation from KidWind.
- Register your team! See your official invitation email for the Team Registration link.
- Log-in to your Team Dashboard. Ask your coach for log-in details.
- Complete Attendee Forms.
- Complete Liability & Media Release Forms.
- Each person attending Worlds including student team members, coaches/chaperones, teachers, parents, siblings, friends, grandparents, etc. MUST complete these two forms in order to attend.
- Attend the 2027 Worlds Info Session (details shared by February 2027)
- Start a fundraising campaign. Learn how to fundraise on the KW website on the FAQ (coming by Feb. 2027).
- Book your travel to Kansas City, KS. PLEASE NOTE: REAL ID or another accepted form of identification are required for all U.S. travelers 18 years and older to board domestic flights. This includes a passport, passport card, or military ID.
- Book lodging in Kansas City, KS.
- Refine your turbine or solar home.
- Plan how you'll get your turbine(s) or solar home(s) to Kansas City, KS (teams must bring a COMPLETE device - we will only have tools and limited supplied to make repairs).
- WIND TEAMS ONLY: Prepare your team's Executive Summary. Please note: We will share team numbers on each Team Profile closer to the event. Feel free to write on the number after printing your Executive Summary.
- MS & HS Executive Summary Guidelines (Coming by Feb. 2027)
- ES Executive Summary Template (Coming by Feb. 2027)
- SOLAR TEAMS ONLY: Prepare your team's Required documents.
- See the Rules Page.
- Bonus Points: Complete your Team Profile with a working video (1 point) & submit ALL Attendee Forms for people joining your team for Worlds (students, coaches, and chaperones) with Liability & Media Release Forms (2 points). These must be completed by May 2nd in order to receive the extra points.
Each person planning on attending Worlds must complete the Attendee Form (student team members, coaches/chaperones, teachers, parents, siblings, friends, grandparents, etc.). After completing an Attendee Form, attendees must complete a Liability and Media Release Form by logging into their Team Dashboard. Ask your coach for Team Dashboard login instructions!
Students under 18 will not be able to complete the form on their own. They will need to complete the form in the company of a guardian.
It is not necessary to rent a car for the 2027 World KidWind Challenge.
For travel to and from the airport, there are app-based ride services like Uber/Lyft, van & shuttle services, and public transportation options.
The Kansas City metro area has plenty of Ubers and Lyfts available at all hours of the day, making them the most reliable method of transportation during Worlds.
We will share parking details by February 2027.
Contact Meghan at Meghan@KidWind.org with any other questions that come up.
Thanks to our Sponsors!
