The Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center is proud to host regional events for the 2026 Virginia KidWind Renewable Energy Challenge — a hands-on design competition that inspires students in grades 4–12 to explore wind and solar energy.
Through this engaging challenge, student teams design, build, and test small-scale wind turbines or solar-powered homes while learning about renewable energy, teamwork, and innovation.
Southwest Virginia Regional Events:
- Coach Training: November 22, 2025, from 9 AM–1 PM at UVA Wise, Darden Hall
- Student Expo: February 7, 2026, from 9 AM–2 PM at Virginia Tech, Goodwin Hall (tentative)
- Testing Day: February 28, 2026, from 10 AM–2 PM at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Abingdon (tentative)
- Regional Competition: March 10, 2026, at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Abingdon
Interested educators, homeschool groups, and students can learn more, register, or request a free team kit by visiting https://www.jmu.edu/case/educator/renewable_energy_challenges.shtml.
For questions, contact Remy Pangle at panglerm@jmu.edu.
The 2026 Renewable Energy Challenges are sponsored by Google, Dominion Energy, and the Center for the Advancement of Sustainable Energy at James Madison University.
