Engaging a Multidisciplinary Group of Students in Wind Energy Education through the Planning and Execution of a KidWind Challenge at James Madison University

Abstract

The Center for Wind Energy (CWE) at James Madison University (JMU) has hosted Virginia KidWind Challenge for the last three years. During the spring semester, 2015, Remy Pangle, Education and Outreach Coordinator for the CWE, and Dr. Jonathan Miles, professor in the Department of Integrated Science and Technology (ISAT) and Director of the CWE, partnered with Dr. Kyle Gipson, professor in the Department of Engineering, to launch a new course for students majoring in Education, Engineering, Hospitality, ISAT, and Psychology. This course combines disciplines associated with these majors with the primary goal to plan and execute the Eastern Finals of the KidWind Challenge at JMU. Students from each major bring a unique set of skills to the table: Education, the ability to identify age-appropriate activities for teams when they are not competing during the event; Engineering, the technical skills for providing guidance to teams and coaches; Hospitality, the logistical knowledge for planning the event; ISAT, the ability to bring all disciplines together and facilitate communication as well as manage the project; and Psychology, the knowledge of assessment so the group can understand the impact their event has on K-12 student.