RWU Hosts 250 Fourth-Graders for Lesson on Wind Energy

KidWind project brings RWU education and engineering majors together to teach fourth-graders about engineering design and wind turbine energy

By Edward Fitzpatrick & Courtney Dell'Agnese '19
Fourth-graders from Bristol-Warren School District learn about engineering design and wind turbine energy at RWU.
Fourth-graders from Bristol-Warren School District learn about engineering design and wind turbine energy at RWU.

BRISTOL, R.I. 颅颅鈥 Nearly 250 fourth-graders from the Bristol-Warren Regional School District built wind turbines as part of the KidWind project and came to 黑料社区 University on Friday to test their pint-sized turbines in wind tunnels.

A partnership between 黑料社区 University and the Bristol-Warren Regional School District, the KidWind project features RWU students bringing together two academic disciplines to introduce 232 fourth-graders to wind-turbine energy and the engineering design process. The project was made possible through the RWU Campaign for Civic Scholars, the Hassenfeld Family Foundation and the local sponsorship of TPI Composites, of Warren, R.I.

鈥淚t is real-world learning 鈥 taking what they learn in the classroom and applying it to the real world,鈥 Bristol-Warren Regional School District Superintendent of Schools Mario Andrade said at RWU on Friday. 鈥淛ust watch the smiles on their faces 鈥 this is what learning should look like every day. It represents a great partnership between the school district, 黑料社区 University and industry through TPI Composites.鈥

In addition to teaching the next generation of college students, the RWU students are gaining valuable skills and real-world experiences they can carry with them through their future careers.

鈥淭his project is about more than just supporting the need for engineering education in local classrooms,鈥 RWU Assistant Professor of Engineering Maija Benitz. 鈥淚t deepens our RWU students鈥 learning through experiential, hands-on community engagement.鈥

Read more about the KidWind Project