Kleinschmidt Windstorm, Maine Wind Blade challenges slated for May 19
More than 250 students are expected to participate in two middle and high school STEM competitions Friday, May 19 at the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center: the Kleinschmidt Windstorm Challenge and the ninth annual Maine Wind Blade Challenge.
The competitions, which showcase real-world, hands-on STEM innovation by middle and high school students — will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m..
The Kleinschmidt Windstorm Challenge, held in the center’s Alfond W2 Ocean Engineering Laboratory, engages students in floating offshore wind technology, innovation and business. Teams of high school students will design and construct a scale-model floating wind turbine platform, test the design and deliver a business plan and sales pitch to a panel of expert judges.
The Maine Wind Blade Challenge is a program of The Maine Composites Alliance and the Maine Ocean & Wind Industry Initiative. The challenge connects teams of middle and high school students with composites companies to construct and infuse a functional set of wind blades. Each team’s goal is to manufacture an assembly that will generate the most energy in up to three minutes.