Twenty youth and parents from Boone, Hardin, Marshall and Story Counties explored wind energy at a Wired for Wind workshop May 4 using Kid Wind materials to design and test wind turbine blade designs. Participants experimented with different sizes, shapes, and number of blades to determine which produced the most energy. They also tested how much weight their blade design would lift using a cup with a load of metal washers.
Prior to the workshop, participants toured the BECON Biomass Energy Conservation Facility in Nevada. Norm Olson at BECON shared how the facility works to improve energy efficiency and use of renewable energy through research, demonstration and education. Olson shared that it makes sense that Iowa with its agricultural base should lead the way in developing and expanding the market for sustainable value-added, biomass-based fuels and chemicals. Participants also learned about the education and skills needed to enter into energy related fields.
This educational opportunity was part of 4-H Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programming in Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Region 8. It was funded in part through the Governor’s STEM Scale Up PEERS (Partnership for Engineering Educational Resources for Schools) programming. Annette Brown, Region 8 4-H Youth Development Specialist, coordinated the event.