The 2026 TSTC Big Country KidWind Challenge brought together student engineers from across the region for a day of innovation, teamwork, and renewable energy exploration. Twenty teams representing five school districts — Colorado ISD, Floydada Collegiate ISD, Hamlin Collegiate ISD, New Home ISD, and Roscoe Collegiate ISD — competed in the event, designing and testing wind turbines while demonstrating their engineering and problem-solving skills.
Several teams earned the opportunity to advance to the KidWind World Challenge, which will be held May 17–20 in Madison, Wisconsin.
Advancing Teams:
Middle School Division: New Home ISD, Colorado ISD
High School Open Division: New Home ISD
High School KidWind Division: Hamlin Collegiate ISD
In addition to the advancing teams, Roscoe Collegiate ISD and Floydada Collegiate ISD received the Spirit of KidWind Award, recognizing their outstanding cooperation, sportsmanship, and team spirit throughout the competition.
Students participating in the challenge designed, built, and tested small-scale wind turbines, applying principles of physics, engineering, and renewable energy in a hands-on competition environment.
Dr. Andy Wilson Research Director at CEN
“Events like the KidWind Challenge give students the opportunity to engage deeply with real-world engineering problems while building the collaboration and critical thinking skills that drive innovation,” said Dr. Andy Wilson, Research Director at Collegiate Edu-Nation. “Seeing students from across the Big Country design solutions and compete at such a high level is incredibly exciting, and we’re proud to see several of these teams advancing to the world stage.”
The KidWind Challenge is part of a national program that introduces students to renewable energy technologies through hands-on design and experimentation. The Big Country event highlighted the growing interest and talent in STEM fields across West Texas.
Educators and organizers say the event not only fosters technical skills but also inspires students to pursue future careers in science, engineering, and energy innovation.
The teams advancing to the world competition will represent their schools and communities as they compete against top student teams from across the globe.
About Collegiate Edu-Nation Collegiate Edu-Nation partners with rural communities to create high-quality educational opportunities that prepare students for college, career, and community leadership. Visit our website at edu-nation.org to learn more.
Alton Frailey, a native of Nacogdoches, Texas, is a veteran professional educator of more than 35 years.
Frailey retired in 2016 after serving as superintendent of the nearly 74,000-student Katy Independent School District near Houston, Texas for nine years. He has served as superintendent of the DeSoto Independent School District near Dallas, Texas and as Superintendent of Schools for Cincinnati Public Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio. From March 2018 through March 2020 he served as Interim Superintendent for the Nacogdoches Independent School District.
Frailey has held numerous professional elected leadership positions including President of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), President of the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA), President of the Urban Superintendents Association of America (USAA), President of the Texas Association of Suburban/Mid-Urban Schools (TAS-MUS), and Chairman of the University Interscholastic League Legislative Council.
Frailey has also served on various civic boards. In 1999, he was elected to the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District Board of Trustees, which was selected as the 2002 Texas Honor Board. In 2015, Texas Governor Gregg Abbott appointed Frailey to the Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents for a six-year term. He currently serves as Chair of the board. He works with the Flip Flippen Group as one of three members of the LeadWorthy Board and is Chair of the Capturing Kids’ Hearts Foundation Board. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Battelle for Kids. Additionally, he has served on the board of directors for the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce, Katy Area Economic Development Council, Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas, West Houston Association, and The Bible Seminary.
He is currently President of Alton L. Frailey & Associates, LLC, specializing in leadership development, community engagement, school board team building, and executive coaching.
He and his wife, Anissa, have been married thirty years and live in Fulshear, Texas.
Dr. Susan Holley received her EdD in Educational Administration from Baylor University in 1991. For 34 years, Dr. Holley served in public schools in the roles of teacher, counselor, principal, central office administrator, and superintendent. She received the Texas Council of Women School Executives State Leadership Award and served on the state board for both the Texas Rural Education Association and the Texas Association of Rural Schools. Dr. Holley was Associate Executive Director for School Transformation and Leadership Services at the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) for nine years before joining the Department of Educational Administration and Human Resources (EAHR) at Texas A&M University in 2017 as Clinical Associate Professor. Dr. Holley teaches courses in principalship, superintendency, and organizational change, and supervises the principal practicum experience.
At Texas A&M University, Dr. Holley is the director of the John R. Hoyle Memorial Administrative Leadership Institute (ALI) and serves on the Council for Educator Preparation Programs and the department’s Executive Committee.
