NOVA Teens’ Solar Project Collaboration Yields High School Solar Champion Title

Five months of work on a solar-powered renewable energy project yielded big rewards for a team of Northern Virginia teens participating in the 2024 World KidWind Challenge, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 5-8. Team La Wai, made up of students from Purcellville and Leesburg (Loudoun County), Herndon and Oakton (Fairfax County), and Marshall (Fauquier County), won the event’s Solar Champion award. The team, supported by community maker organization the Makersmiths, Inc., won the award after three days of skill-challenging events, testing and the presentation of their solar-powered project.

Teammates Scarlet Artz, Maximilian Burrus, Evie McConnell, Soren Ogelman, Zara Ramadan and Jocelyn Ro created their solar-powered water desalination project after considering water availability during the destructive Maui wildfires, incorporating the Hawaiian word for water – Wai – into their team name.

In creating their project, the team refined programming, circuitry design, 3D printing, laser cutting, communication and many other skills. Not all was smooth sailing for them, however, as they contended
with melting circuits, learned to overcome structural support issues causing water leaks, and broke a critical battery mere minutes before their last competition.

Months of practice, construction, and working as a team taught them to overcome challenges such as
these. Team coaches Justin McMillen and Maria Busuioceanu guided the teens in their learning, refining
and event preparation. Both coaches recognized the inspiration the event showcased and provided to all of the teams participating.

Team La Wai was invited to the World KidWind Challenge after winning the KidWind State Challenge in
Virginia, hosted by James Madison University in April. The team advanced to the state competition after
winning the Northern Virginia regional challenge, hosted by Shenandoah University in March. At each
event, teams met with and worked alongside other participants to share ideas, inspiration, and tools. The
2024 World KidWind Challenge featured 94 teams, with nearly 400 students from 21 states and from Mexico and Taiwan.

Through each challenge, at the regional, state and world’s level, teammates met with, heard from, and were judged by industry representatives and leaders. Among the 2024 KidWind Challenge sponsors were
the Appalachian Energy Center, Apex Clean Energy, EDP renewables, Enel S.p.A., Invenergy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Orsted, Vernier Science Education, University of Maryland’s College of Education, the Kahlert Foundation, and many more. More information about KidWind Challenge is available here, including how to participate in one of the solar or wind powered challenges.