Since Summer 2023, Dr. Peng Zhang has been collaborating with the Putnam County School System’s (PCSS) Virtual Instruction to Accentuate Learning (VITAL) school to foster STEM education among high school students. Our lab’s role primarily revolves around supporting the school’s KidWind Challenge team, consisting of a dynamic group of talented students and dedicated teachers. As a university liaison, Dr. Zhang has provided expert advice on the design of wind turbines through school visits and direct engagement with both the students and teachers.

Following months of hard work, the students achieved remarkable success in October 2023, when they won the state-wide KidWind Challenge in Nashville, Tennessee! Their achievement was recognized by the Putnam County Board of Education in December 2023. Our lab continued our support as the team prepared for the National KidWind Challenge. We offered guidance for new wind turbine designs, coordinated on-site evaluations of the students’ new wind turbine models, and facilitated preliminary testing and validation in our wind tunnel facility on TTU campus. We are thrilled to share that the team performed exceptionally in the 2024 National KidWind Challenge held in Minnesota in May 2024, securing second place in the “high-speed” (6m/s) wind subcategory and first place in the “super-speed” (10m/s) subcategory!