Wisconsin KidWind Challenge

media release: KidWind is a hands-on design celebration that engages students through the lens of wind and solar energy. Student teams design and build small-scale wind turbines and solar structures at home or school and bring them to events all over the world to measure power output and present in front of expert judges. The Wisconsin KidWind Challenge is open to 3-12th grade students and educators across the state and feeds into the National KidWind Competition. 

The public is welcome to watch, cheer on the teams, and engage in hands-on science activities at the Science Expo.

Join the Renewable Energy Expo: Noon - 2:45 pm

Come feel the energy in the air! A hands-on Science Exploration Expo, open to the public, will be held from 12:00 pm - 2:45 pm. There will be interactive science stations to explore related to energy, sustainability and climate, and you can watch as teams test and refine their model wind turbines. This event is free and open to the public.

• Explore hands-on science activities related to energy, sustainability and climate
• Interact with scientists and learn about their journeys
• Discover the KidWind Challenge and see participants in action
• And more!

Everybody is welcome to come explore energy and meet with UW–Madison students and researchers. 

Put a team together to participate in Challenge on March 1, 2025, at the Discovery Building at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Learn more and register here.

At the WI KidWind Challenge, student teams will:

• test their device - wind turbine teams test energy output in a wind tunnel and solar teams demonstrate their structure under the solar arch
• present in front of a panel of expert judges
• complete instant challenges that test teamwork and hands-on thinking
• meet with college students studying renewable energy
• explore careers in clean energy