Kansas Students Gear Up for Wind Energy Competition with High-Speed Tunnel

Finalists from 25 schools will test their homemade wind turbines in a shark-themed wind tunnel ahead of the state finals.

Apr. 11, 2026 at 12:03am

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A bold, abstract painting featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and intersecting waveforms in shades of green, blue, and ochre, conceptually representing the complex forces and concepts of wind energy.A high-tech wind tunnel helps young Kansas students explore the science behind renewable energy ahead of a statewide competition.Topeka Today

Dozens of elementary school students in Kansas are preparing for the finals of the Kansas KidWind Challenge, a state competition where they will test their self-designed wind turbines in a high-speed wind tunnel. The tunnel, featuring a large shark head, will produce winds up to 22 mph to simulate real-world conditions. The top teams will advance to the national 'World KidWind Challenge' competition.

Why it matters

The KidWind Challenge aims to spark students' interest in renewable energy and engineering by giving them hands-on experience designing, building, and testing their own wind turbines. Exposing young learners to these STEM fields can help cultivate the next generation of wind energy innovators.

The details

36 teams representing 25 Kansas schools have qualified as finalists in the Kansas KidWind Challenge. The students were tasked with building model wind turbines to generate energy, which will be scored on their turbine's performance in the high-speed wind tunnel, as well as through a knowledge quiz, an instant challenge, and a presentation. The 'shark high speed wind tunnel' traveling from Wisconsin made stops at several Topeka elementary schools to promote the upcoming state finals in Salina.

  • The Kansas KidWind Challenge state finals will take place on Saturday, April 11, 2026.
  • The top teams from Kansas will advance to the 'World KidWind Challenge' competition in Madison, Wisconsin, next month.

The players

Stacy Harris

Kansas Energy Program instructor and KidWind promoter.

Dick Anderson

A KidWind advisor from Wisconsin who helped design the shark-themed wind tunnel.

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What they’re saying

“In life, we have challenges all the time. We have to problem-solve all the time. And that's something hard to teach. So giving kids the chance to really engineer and focus and challenge and giving them time to play, it helps them connect with careers that will help us in the future.”

— Stacy Harris, Kansas Energy Program instructor and KidWind promoter

“Building a rocket ship takes a lot of time and energy, but the real fun is riding on it. So, the students get to design, build, and test these wind turbines. And then in the process, they can have some real fun with it when they test them in this high-velocity wind tunnel, which is about four times the energy that the normal wind tunnels at the competition produce.”

— Dick Anderson, KidWind advisor

What’s next

The top teams from the Kansas KidWind Challenge state finals will advance to the 'World KidWind Challenge' competition in Madison, Wisconsin, next month.

The takeaway

The Kansas KidWind Challenge is inspiring the next generation of wind energy innovators by giving elementary students hands-on experience designing, building, and testing their own wind turbines. Exposing young learners to STEM fields through engaging, competitive challenges can help cultivate the skills and interests needed to tackle the renewable energy challenges of the future.