Students compete with top young renewable energy innovators

In the foreground, a group of students interact around a large fan project, while in the background, adults staff a table and a poster is visible on the wall.

Student Achievement

Jun 30 2026

Students from STEM Launch and Northglenn High School recently represented Adams 12 Five Star Schools and Colorado at the prestigious 2026 World KidWind Challenge in Madison, Wisconsin, competing alongside some of the top young renewable energy innovators from around the world.

The competition, held May 16–20, 2026, at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, brought together hundreds of students from elementary through high school to showcase their engineering, problem-solving and clean energy knowledge through wind turbine and renewable energy challenges.

Four young people stand behind a table displaying a colorful, homemade wind turbine, with a busy exhibition hall filled with other participants and displays in the background.

The Adams 12 teams earned their invitation to the world competition after strong performances at a local KidWind event earlier this year. Fourth and eighth-grade students from STEM Launch joined forces with eleventh grade students from Northglenn High School to compete against teams from across the United States and several other countries.

KidWind challenges students to design, test and improve small-scale wind turbines while presenting their engineering process to judges and participating in instant engineering and knowledge challenges.

Throughout the competition, students tested their turbine designs in professional wind tunnels, defended their design choices during formal judging sessions, and collaborated under pressure during team engineering challenges.

Five children in light blue t-shirts stand in front of a gray wall, with one child holding a Phillips 66 award and another holding a propeller.

“Our students showed incredible perseverance, creativity, and teamwork,” said Felicia Evans, STEM Coordinator at STEM Launch. “Watching fourth-graders, eighth-graders, and high school students collaborate and compete at a world-level engineering competition was incredibly inspiring.”

Students also had opportunities to connect with peers from around the world who share a passion for renewable energy, sustainability, and engineering innovation.

“I was nervous at first, but once we started testing our turbine, it felt amazing,” shared one STEM Launch student competitor. “We learned so much from other teams and from redesigning our blades.”

Three young men stand behind a large wooden propeller with a Phillips 66 sign in front of it, while a blurred background shows a convention hall with other attendees and displays.

An eleventh grade student from Northglenn High School reflected on the collaborative nature of the experience. “It was really cool working with younger students and helping improve our design together. Competing at Worlds pushed all of us to think differently.”

The trip to Madison represented months of teamwork, redesign, testing and preparation by students and educators across both schools. Generous financial donations from Phillips 66 and NextEra Energy helped make the travel experience possible for students and families.

While none of the Adams 12 teams placed at the world competition, every student walked away with something even more valuable: real-world engineering experience, lasting memories, new friendships, and the confidence that comes from competing on a global stage.

“Experiences like KidWind give students authentic opportunities to solve meaningful problems while building confidence, resilience, and collaboration skills,” said Evans. “Our students represented Adams 12 exceptionally well, and we are incredibly proud of their accomplishments.”

The 2026 World KidWind Challenge hosted students from dozens of regional qualifying events and focused on empowering the next generation of clean energy leaders and innovators.