TOPEKA – Just as the amount of wind energy being produced in the state grows, so does the number of students participating in the Kansas KidWind Challenge. The annual event has grown from one regional challenge in 2016 to six regional events in 2022. This year’s competition promises to be bigger than ever with 96 teams from 55 schools competing compared to 56 teams from 26 schools this year last.
The 2023 KidWind Challenge kicks off this week with two regional races in western Kansas. The first will be held on Tuesday in Dodge City at the $443 Dodge City Public Schools and the second on Thursday in Oakley at the Northwest Kansas Educational Service Center. Both events start at 9am
Four more regional events will be held in Overland Park, Hutchinson, Manhattan and Burlington before the top two teams in each age group advance to the state finals scheduled for March 25 in Topeka. The state winners will then advance to the national competition held May 14-17 in Boulder, Colorado. Three Kansas teams won national titles in the 2022 national event. A complete schedule of KidWind events can be found on the KCC website at
To participate in the KidWind Challenge, student teams work together to design, build and test a wind turbine using the materials of their choice. Each team’s turbine is put through its paces in a wind tunnel. Scoring is based on turbine performance, a knowledge quiz, a presentation to the judges where the team explains its design process, and an immediate challenge. Students in grades 4-12 are eligible to participate.
KidWind is a Kansas Corporation Commission and K-State Engineering Extension energy education event made possible by a grant from the United States Department of Energy.
Note to Media: Members of the media are welcome to attend any KidWind event. Please let us know if we can help you with participant information or to arrange interviews with students or coaches.
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