Two Henley teams qualify to compete at the Worlds Invite
April 7, 2026 / Students from across southern Oregon put their engineering skills to the test April 2 during the Klamath Falls KidWind Challenge at Henley High School.
Sponsored by Orsted and supported by the U.S. Forest Service and Klamath Community College, the event engaged elementary through high school students in hands-on wind energy design.
This year marked the sixth time over the last 10 years that Henley High School has hosted the regional KidWind Wind Turbine Competition. With Orsted’s sponsorship, organizers were able to host a teacher workshop at KCC in February, where nine teachers from five schools received solar and wind energy kits to bring back to their classrooms.
For the KidWind Challenge student teams designed and built small wind turbines, tested them under controlled conditions, and presented their work to a panel of judges. Teams were evaluated not only on energy output, but also on their understanding of engineering concepts and clean energy systems.
Inside the 4-foot-by-4-foot wind tunnel, students had three chances to generate the most energy possible using their turbine designs. Small adjustments made a big difference.
“We changed the angle of the blades for our second test,” said Camen Raul, a Henley Middle School student on a team called The Wind. “It worked the first time, but we were trying to get more power.”
Other teams quickly learned the importance of trial and error.
“That was the best we’ve ever done,” said Henley fourth-grader Rosalind Bailey. “We tried changing the angle, but it didn’t work, so we changed it back.”
“The judging portion is where students explain how they designed and built their turbines,” said event organizer and Henley engineering teacher Kristi Lebkowsky. “Each team gets about 10 minutes with the judges, who score them using a rubric.”
In addition to turbine testing, teams tackled an Instant Challenge that required quick thinking and teamwork. One challenge asked students to design an offshore wind turbine that could float, withstand simulated waves, and generate enough power to light an LED.
Lebkowsky said the event connects classroom learning to real-world applications. “These hands-on experiences really bring engineering and clean energy to life for the students,” she said.
Throughout the day, the competition floor buzzed with activity as students tested designs, made quick fixes, and encouraged one another.
This year, 17 teams participated, including teams from Henley Elementary, Henley Middle, and Henley High schools, as well as several teams from South Medford High School.
Thanks to Orsted’s sponsorship, volunteers and the high school Worlds qualifiers received event T-shirts, and lunch was provided for all competitors, judges, and volunteers.
The first and second place high school teams earned an invitation to KidWind Worlds at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, May 17–20, 2026, with $1,200 each to offset travel costs.
High School Awards
-- 1st Place Overall / Worlds Invite / Power Award / HS Judges Award: Valley Breeze – Will Grayson, Dylan Orr, Leeah Rainville, Thatcher Rabiossi (Henley High School)
-- 2nd Place Overall / Worlds Invite: Zephyr – Walker Crawford, Carston Ransom, Cohen McKenzie (Henley High School)
-- 3rd Place Overall: Ventus – Cullen Stroh, Nick Harwood (Henley High School)
-- Einstein Award: Panther (South Medford team)
Middle School Awards (Grades 4–8)
-- 1st Place Overall: K-P Connection – Priscilla Murillo Zambrano and Kyndal Gardner (Henley Middle School)
-- Judges and Power Award: Bailey Pandas – Rosalind Bailey and Anders Bailey (Henley Elementary School)
-- Einstein Award: The Wind -- Camen Raul, Brayden McKay, and Rickardo Millican (Henley Middle School)
Organizers also thanked community partners who contributed to the event: Klamath Community College, Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath County Fairgrounds, Basin Graphics, the Forest Service, SOESD, and the Southern Oregon STEM Hub.
