Published February 21, 2024
MONROE, LA – On Friday, February 2, 2024, ULM hosted the KidWind Challenge, a renewable, wind energy
learning experience sponsored by Pattern Energy Group and held at Bayou Pointe Event
Center. Over 75 students from Cedar Creek, Neville, and Sterlington middle schools
attended to participate in activities that impart knowledge and hands-on exposure
to the science behind renewable energy, specifically wind power.
This STEM competition, the first of its kind to be held in Louisiana, featured student
teams vying for prizes, including invitations to the KidWind Challenge World Competition
in Minneapolis, MN, in May, with a $1,000 travel stipend included for the top three
teams.
The KidWind Challenge is a firsthand design celebration that engages students through
the lens of wind and solar energy. Student teams design, construct, and test small-scale
wind turbines and solar structures. For the last twenty years, KidWind has focused
on helping educators and students explore renewable energy through three major areas:
teacher training, curricula and materials, and the KidWind Challenge.
ULM partnered with the STEM Collective for Innovative Louisiana Stakeholders (SCILS) Region 8 LASTEM Center to bring this dynamic learning activity to campus. Dr. Anne Case Hanks, Director of the ULM School of Sciences, explained, “KidWind Challenge brings science and engineering to life and requires students to
use engineering design. Opportunities like this help to excite students in STEM. This
innovative event would not be possible without Pattern Energy and the SCILS partnership
with Louisiana Tech.”
Cathi Cox-Boniol, Director of SCILS Region 8 LASTEM Center, elaborated on efforts
to begin this event. “When SCILS connected with KidWind last year, we immediately
knew this was a partnership we wanted to pursue,” said Cox-Boniol. “However, we also
knew that in order for it to be successful, a strong collaborative effort was required.
The powerful partnership between SCILS, KidWind, ULM, & Pattern Energy proved to be
the perfect combination for launching the inaugural KidWind Challenge in Louisiana.
I am proud and grateful for how each partner invested in our debut event. This is
the type of partnership SCILS is built upon, and it is exciting to think about what
might be accomplished as we continue leveraging our collective strengths,” she added.
ULM Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Mark Arant, summed up the
ways in which such local events can impact our region. “ULM exists to serve its community
through connecting knowledge with challenges and opportunities. The sooner we can
open doors for students to realize possibilities and potentials, the quicker lives
can be changed. Working with younger students to address societal concerns gets them
engaged sooner in the solution, leading to a lifetime of learning and connection with
their communities,” said Arant.
