Kids harness Wind Power at Heartland Community College
Students from Lincoln Elementary Schools participate

 

[February 15, 2024]    The Challenger Learning Center at Heartland Community College hosted a competition for local middle school students to test their science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) skills.

Sixty area students aged 10-14 gathered at Heartland’s Challenger Learning Center (CLC) on Wednesday, February 14, 2024 to design and build a model wind turbine for the first Central Illinois KidWind Renewable Energy Challenge.

Staff and students from Heartland Community College Renewable Energy program were on hand to lend advice to teams as they create their model.

Student teams tested their model in a wind tunnel set up in the Astroth Community Education Center on the Heartland Campus as professionals from the renewable energy industry evaluated design and measured performance.

Bement Middle School placed the top three teams in the competition, earning an invite to the National KidWind Challenge.

After testing, teams visited Heartland’s new Advanced Manufacturing Center to see the renewable energy, electric vehicle, and robotics labs.

“This is a unique opportunity for kids to develop STEM skills while gaining the benefit of the renewable energy educators and students at Heartland,” said Bob Shaw, Interim Director of Heartland’s Challenger Learning Center. “Thousands of students participate in immersive educational experiences each year at the Challenger Learning Center. Events like the KidWind Challenge help make the connection between STEM learning and careers in industries like wind energy, electric vehicles, solar energy, and many others.”

Schools with students participating in the Central Illinois KidWind Challenger included Bement Middle School (Piatt County) Glendale Elementary (East Peoria), Lincoln Elementary (Lincoln), Metcalf (Normal) as well as home school students from Normal.

The mission of the Challenger Learning Center is to engage secondary school students and teachers in dynamic, hands-on exploration and discovery opportunities that strengthen knowledge in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), inspire students to pursue careers in these fields, and provide an outlet to learn and apply important life skills. Students from across the Midwest have participated in over 315 STEM experiences and 7,292 students completed a STEM experience last year.

[Steve Fast
Assistant to the President, Public Information and Communication
Heartland Community College]