Floydada Collegiate Junior High students compete in KidWind competition at TSTC in Sweetwater (Photo courtesy Kalissia Hinson)
SWEETWATER, TX – A group of Floydada Collegiate Junior High students is applying the knowledge they receive to real-world situations and are being recognized across the state.
The KidWind Challenge, according to Kalissia Hinson, a team sponsor, “is a hands-on design celebration that engages students through the lens of wind and solar energy.”
Two teams from FCJH competed in the competition whereby they design, construct and test small-scale wind turbines and solar structures at events worldwide.
“This is the first year that Floydada has started this program, and it was introduced to junior high first,” Hinson explained. “They had to build the turbines and learn about gears, sensors, generators, and how to build a turbine. Students created their own blades and learned how to adjust pitch and measure wind speed. They had to continue to make changes to up the speed.”
Both teams traveled to Sweetwater to the Texas State Technical College (TSTC) campus on April 14th, and one team placed second, qualifying for Nationals in Boulder, Colorado, May 12th-17th, 2023.
The team members are Noah Cisneros, Sergio Martinez, Brooklyn Pyle, Maddison Pyle, Emily Martinez, Jocelyn Baltazar, Addison Hinson, and Kaylee Luna. Jessica Munguia and Kalissia Hinson are FCJH sponsors.
