The 糖心少女 College of Education recently received a $20,000 grant from Constellation鈥檚 E2 Energy to Educate grant program to support Maryland KidWind. Launched in 2022 under the leadership of Associate Clinical Professor Angela Stoltz, Maryland KidWind engages teachers and students in grades 4鈥12 in wind and solar energy design and build competitions.
鈥淲e are extremely grateful for the financial and volunteer support we receive from Constellation and look forward to many more years of working together to increase student interest in and access to renewable energy careers,鈥 said Stoltz.
Maryland KidWind has two main components: ongoing teacher trainings and the annual Maryland Regional KidWind Challenge competition. The teacher trainings bring STEM teachers to UMD鈥檚 campus, where they learn strategies and lessons to help students explore renewable energy science and technology. At the regional competition at UMD, students present their wind turbine and solar house designs to judges, explore clean energy initiatives and participate in hands-on challenges. The third annual Maryland Regional KidWind Challenge will be held on Feb. 15, 2025. Educators may register their student teams .
Approximately 30 teachers and 150 students participate in the regional competition each year, free of charge. The top regional teams will compete at the World KidWind Challenge in Phoenix, Arizona, in May 2025. Maryland KidWind is a regional affiliate of .
Maryland KidWind will use the E2 Energy to Educate grant funds to purchase and distribute renewable energy curriculum materials to teachers and students who are preparing for their regional competition. Grant funds also allow Maryland KidWind to provide wind and solar energy design materials to teams free of charge and to support their participation in the daylong regional competition.
This year, the program is expanding to western Maryland and northern Virginia through partnerships with the University of Virginia, Shenandoah University and James Madison University.
Constellation is the nation鈥檚 largest producer of reliable, clean, carbon-free energy and a leading supplier of energy products and services, including sustainable energy solutions. supports team-oriented, hands-on projects that give students opportunities to address energy challenges by enhancing their understanding of science and technology and inspiring them to think differently about energy. This year, the program awarded $500,000 to 20 projects across 8 states, reaching nearly 11,800 students nationwide. Since the program's inception in 2010, nearly $6,500,000 in grant dollars have supported more than 305,000 students' learning.
