Published June 7, 2022
Roanoke Rapids, NC — The Center for Energy Education (C4EE) is excited to announce that the Chaloner Middle School KidWind team from Roanoke Rapids, NC, brought home the “gold” from the 2022 National KidWind Competition in the middle school category. Prior to Nationals, the team won at the local level held at the Center on April 8th and the regional State Wind and Solar Challenge on April 24th in Petersburg, Virginia, representing Virginia and North Carolina. After winning at both, the Chaloner Middle School team advanced to represent the Virginia/North Carolina region at the National KidWind Competition. After competing against 53 student teams from 15 U.S. states and Mexico, Chaloner won first place. This is an incredible accomplishment for these first-time challengers from our region!
The 2022 National KidWind Competition was held in San Antonio, TX, May 16th through May 19th. The competition was hosted by the American CleanPower Tradeshow and co-located with the Collegiate Wind Competition. Each team had to test their turbine in each of the four wind tunnels and present their design and process to a panel of judges. In addition to these challenge elements, each team had to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of other renewable energy content. Each team also had to showcase a second turbine – a floating offshore turbine – able to sustain a wave action in the offshore wind tunnel, as well as a challenge focusing on hydropower and one that focused on solar panel circuitry work. Each team also participated in a Quizbowl to test their energy knowledge.
“We are so proud of our Chaloner KidWind Team. Their teamwork, resilience, and creativity exemplify what we strive for in our school district. Our students rose to the local, state, and national challenge. We are thankful for the robust partnership and support from the Center for Energy Education, Dominion Energy, James Madison University, WestRock, community members, staff, and families for this team, which has made our district motto, Together We Succeed, a reality,” said Juliana Thompson, District Superintendent of Roanoke Rapids Graded School.
Several local partnerships assisted by providing teams with information and financial support including Dominion Energy, James Madison University, and the Center for Energy Education. The Center for Energy Education and the National KidWind Challenge are in direct support of Governor Roy Cooper’s Executive Order 218 regarding offshore wind and the state’s goal to increase the percentage of clean energy on our electrical power grid.
“Providing learning opportunities while addressing the needs of the NC Energy Industry is part of our mission here at the Center for Energy Education”, said John Ledgerwood, Education Consultant at the Center for Energy Education.
For more information or questions regarding the competition, please contact John Ledgerwood at [email protected] or (252) 541-3004 and Remy Pangle, Director and Education Manager, Center for the Advancement of Sustainable Energy, JMU at [email protected] or (540) 568-8768.