Kids harness Wind Power at
Heartland Community College
Students from Lincoln Elementary Schools
participate
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[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.”
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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] |