Wind & solar energy education and outreach
We work to improve how Alaskan students understand and use energy through hands-on lessons and teacher trainings statewide.
Seven small wind turbines were installed through the program and serve as on-site demonstration projects for students.
About Wind for Schools
Wind for Schools was launched in 2005 by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Powering America program and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Alaska is one of eleven states with a Wind for Schools program. The curriculum develops a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) knowledge base in Alaska’s youth and raises awareness of the benefits of wind energy.
REAP provides classroom visits to model the Wind for Schools curriculum and trainings to help teachers implement it. REAP’s focus is schools around the state where community-scale wind projects have been installed and students can easily visit the installation.
There are also currently seven small turbines connected to the electric grid in the state that were installed through the Wind for Schools program between 2009 and 2011. Those installations serve as on-site demonstration projects that allow students to collect and analyze the performance data of the turbines. Each year, REAP organizes an annual hands-on wind turbine design competition called the KidWind Challenge. Today, Wind for Schools outreach and education throughout the state includes lessons on solar energy.
KidWind Challenge and Training
During the annual KidWind Challenge, students work in teams to design and build a model wind turbine at home or school and bring it to the competition to measure the energy output in a wind tunnel, and present their design to a panel of judges.
Scoring is based on energy produced, documentation of turbine design and subject matter knowledge. The KidWind Challenge open to 4th-12th graders, with both Middle School (4th-8th grade) and High School (9th-12th grade) divisions. Learn more about the KidWind Challenge on the national website here.
Sign up for Energy Education emails to be notified at the beginning of each spring semester for a free training on wind energy in Alaska. In the training, you will develop the skills and tools you need to successfully enter teams of students in the KidWind Challenge held each March or April. Teachers, parents and other adults who plan to attend the Challenge with a team of students are all invited to participate in the training. Continuing education credit is available for interested teachers.
Current turbines
There are seven small wind turbines in Alaska that were installed through the Wind for Schools program between 2009 and 2011. We are working on connecting the turbines to a network so that their electricity output can be seen on OpenEI.
Classroom visits & teacher trainings
We provide classroom visits and teacher trainings statewide.
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