Two teams from Beloit are among those set to compete this weekend for the Kansas KidWind Challenge title.

Fourteen high school and middle school teams from across the state are scheduled to compete Saturday for the chance to represent Kansas in the national competition in Houston, Texas, in May. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kansas Museum of History, 6425 SW 6th Avenue in Topeka. Lieutenant Governor Lynn Rogers will serve as one of the judges. The KidWind Challenge is open to the public and spectators are invited to attend.

Each of the teams earned their spot in the finals by placing first or second in the high school (grades 9-12) or middle school (grades 4-8) category at one of four regional events held in Manhattan, Burlington, Great Bend, and Oakley.

To prepare for competition, the teams study wind power then build a turbine using the design and materials of their choice. During the challenge, each team’s turbine is put to the test in a 48″ × 48″ wind tunnel at a wind speed of approximately 3.5-5 m/s. Team members are judged on their knowledge, design, and documentation as well as performance testing.

This year, KidWind entries more than tripled with 159 students participating compared to 49 last year. In 2018, the winning team from Oxford Middle School went on to place first in the national KidWind competition in Chicago.

More information about KidWind can be found at https://kansasenergyprogram.org/kidwindchallenge.