(MADISON, Wisc.) May 28, 2026 – Being one of the best was the goal of each of the 125 teams competing at the 2026 World KidWind Challenge in Madison, Wisconsin. Over the course of the three-day event, teams of 4th-12th grade students were tested on the performance of the wind turbines or solar homes they designed, as well as their knowledge of clean energy, and their design and problem-solving skills.

“The teams who competed at the 2026 World KidWind Challenge represent the future of clean energy! We were incredibly impressed by the knowledge, teamwork, presentation skills, and designs showcased here in Madison,” said Michael Arquin, founder of KidWind. “The KidWind Challenge engages students, helps them learn STEM skills, and prepares them for future careers in clean energy. We offer a huge congratulations to the top teams and celebrate all who participated in the KidWind Challenge this year.”

The top-performing teams in the 2026 World KidWind Challenge are:

Wind Turbine Design Challenge

High School Division (Grades 9-12)

  • Burlington Wind Company-Yin Yangs - USD 244 Burlington High School, Burlington, Kansas
  • Mauston Team Sigma - Mauston High School, Mauston, Wisconsin
  • Taiwan HUNTERS - from Taichung Municipal Taichung First Senior High School, Second Senior High School, and Industrial Senior High School in Taiwan
  • THS Windbreakers - Tabb High School, Yorktown, Virginia
  • Valley Breeze - Henley High School, Klamath Falls, Oregon
  • WINDLE - Tallinn Secondary School of Science, Estonia

Middle School Division (Grades 6-8)

  • Keystone Kinetics - Dorseyville Middle School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Lab Rats - New Home ISD, New Home, Texas
  • Mavericks - Allen STEM Magnet School, Hutchinson, Kansas
  • SL Angel Wings - Nantou County She-Liao Junior High School in Zhushan Township, Nantou County, Taiwan
  • Swimming Hotdogs - Sand Creek Middle School, Albany, New York
  • Taiwan WINd POWer - Wuqi, Taichung & Anping, Tainan, Taiwan
  • Team Turbine - Prospect Sierra, El Cerrito, California
  • WINders - Nemaha Central Middle School, Seneca, Kansas

Elementary School Division (Grades 4-5)

  • Power Stingers - JB Blayton Elementary School, Williamsburg, Virginia
  • The Wind Nexus - Tainan Municipal Liantan Elementary and Junior High School, Tainan City, Taiwan
  • Untied Shoelaces - Prairie Ridge Elementary School, Shawnee, Kansas

Solar Home Challenge

Smart Home Division (Grades 9-12)

  • The Solar Superstars - Roanoke Rapids Graded School District, Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

Middle School Solar Home Division (Grades 6-8)

  • Error 404: Team Not Found - Makersmiths, in Northern Virginia

Elementary School Division (Grades 4-5)

  • DC Currents - McGaheysville Elementary, McGaheysville, Virginia

Team scores were based on their performance on four tasks: 1) testing of designs: wind turbines were tested in multiple wind tunnels set to different wind speeds; and solar homes were tested in KidWind’s Solar Test Environment to simulate how they would perform in the sun, 2) presenting their project to a panel of judges, answering judges’ questions and defending their design choices 3) participating in “Instant Challenges” - on-the-spot tests designed by KidWind where teams demonstrated their knowledge, skills, problem-solving, and teamwork, and 4) participating in a Knowledge Test where teams tested their combined understanding of clean energy during a timed quiz.

Additional honors were awarded for the Rookies of the Year, Judges Award, Innovation Award, Circuit Master Award, Blade Engineer Award (sponsored by Vestas), Brightest Array Award, Best Dressed Turbines, and the Spirit of KidWind Award for teams that demonstrate generosity, resilience, and grace over the competition.

The full list of winning teams can be viewed here: https://kidwind.org/worlds/2026-2/

The 2026 World KidWind Challenge took place at the University of Wisconsin-Madison May 17-20, 2026. It was the culminating event for the KidWind Challenge season, which consisted of more in-person local Challenges and a nationwide Online Challenge. The top performing teams from these events qualified for the 2026 World KidWind Challenge.

This year’s World KidWind Challenge was made possible with the help of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Wisconsin Energy Institute, many volunteers, and through generous contributions from national sponsor Google. Additional sponsors that supported this year’s event include Blattner, Generac, Invenergy, RWE, Vernier Science Education, and Vestas.

For more information about the KidWind Challenge, visit www.kidwind.org/challenge.


About the KidWind Challenge:
The KidWind Challenge is the ultimate clean energy learning experience. Students discover the promise and limitations of clean energy technology while designing, building, and testing functional wind turbines and solar structures, and competing with their peers in a supportive environment. The KidWind Challenge was developed in 2009 by the KidWind Project, an international leader in clean energy education, and has been embraced and supported by leading energy industry companies since its start. For information on how to get involved, go to https://kidwind.org/challenges/.

###