Several dozen science students from Williams watched as a Skystream wind turbine went up on the Williams Elementary/Middle School campus earlier this week, launching the Wind for Schools Program in the rural Arizona school district.
The turbine will generate power for the school and provide data for classroom academic activities.
Middle school students will perform engineering activities and learn about wildlife and siting concepts throughout the year, with the support of staff and university students from the Arizona Wind for Schools program at NAU. Williams High School technology students will work on designing their own wind turbine using Wind for Schools program support and inspiration from the Skystream turbine, said science teacher Michael Fleishman.
The turbine installation was funded by NextEra Energy Resources, which is constructing a wind farm north of Williams. Academic support and coordination of the installation are performed by the Arizona Wind for Schools program, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and Northern Arizona University. The installation was performed by WestWind Solar out of Tucson.
The Wind for Schools program will install a wind turbine at St. Michael Indian School in St. Michaels, Ariz., next week and another one at NAU’s Applied Research and Development building shortly thereafter, furthering school and teacher outreach to implement energy education and increase student energy literacy.