Kansas Energy Program

09/11/2026

🍂 Happy Friday! Is fall finally on its way?

It was a beautiful, cool morning here in Manhattan, and we’re heading into a BIG week for the Kansas Energy Program!

🏆 The highlight: Governor Recognition Day at the Kansas State Capitol!
We are incredibly proud to celebrate our 2026 World KidWind Champions as they are recognized by the Governor of Kansas! Our students, coaches, sponsors, and KEP team will come together at the Capitol for photos with the Governor, a Capitol tour, and lunch.

These students have worked their way through Regionals → State → Worlds, demonstrating creativity, teamwork, problem-solving, and perseverance every step of the way. We can’t wait to celebrate them! 💨🏆
Burlington USD #244
PREfamilies PTO
Nemaha Central Elementary & Middle School@
Allen STEM Magnet School

And that’s only part of our week! You’ll also find KEP:
⚡ Bringing our Power Grid Racetrack to Third Thursday in Manhattan Downtown Manhattan, KS

⛵ Racing Sailcars at Topeka Zoo’s Conservation Day Topeka Zoo

🔬 Sharing energy STEM opportunities at KATS Kamp in Emporia Kansas Association of Teachers of Science (KATS)

We are grateful to the Kansas Corporation Commission and our sponsors who help make these opportunities, equipment, materials, and programs possible.
Kansas Association of Counties-Kansas Corporation Commision
Enel North America
Vestas
ITC Holdings Corp.
NextEra Energy
👩‍🏫 Teachers—wondering what KEP could bring to YOUR classroom? Come experience it yourself at one of our upcoming FREE Energy in Action workshops across Kansas! Learn about our equipment, lessons, activities, competitions, and resources available to Kansas educators.

🔗 https://kansasenergyprogram.org/events

09/10/2026

⚡ Kansas teachers—what if your next great classroom idea was FREE? ⚡
Energy is Everywhere and in Everything! 🔅🔎💡

🔓 Unlock the tools to bring it to your classroom!🔐

Join us for an Energy in Action Workshop this October and discover hands-on ways to bring energy, STEM, real-world careers, and problem-solving into your classroom.

Register Now!
https://kansasenergyprogram.org/events

And when we say FREE, we mean it! 🙌
✅ FREE registration & PD
✅ FREE classroom resources & equipment
✅ Mileage reimbursement
✅ Substitute reimbursement
✅ Lunch included

Come play, experiment, learn—and leave with ideas you can use with your students right away!

Share this to teachers in your area!

09/08/2026

⚡STEM Teachers — want $200 worth of classroom materials for just $25?

KidWind is offering a series of hands-on virtual workshops covering Power Grid, Wind Energy, Solar Energy, and Offshore Wind. And these aren’t workshops where you just sit and watch—you’ll receive a box of materials in the mail so you can build and participate right along with the facilitator!

Even better: 6th–12th grade STEM teachers can use code CREATE101 to drop the cost from $225 to only $25! That’s $200 OFF.

Four Saturdays. Four energy topics. Lots of ideas you can take straight back to your students.

⚡ Power Grid — September 26
💨 Wind Energy — October 17
☀️ Solar Energy — November 21
🌊 Offshore Wind — December 5

Workshops run 11 AM–2 PM, and registration closes two weeks before each event.

Which one would you choose? Check out the flyer for more information!

09/02/2026

🍃 Kansas teachers—want to know what you can get for FREE for your classroom?

Join us for one of our upcoming FREE Energy in Action Workshops and discover how energy can fit into what you’re already teaching.

Teachers receive FREE professional development, lunch, mileage reimbursement, substitute reimbursement, classroom curriculum and lessons, AND energy equipment/materials to take back to their students.

And this isn’t just about teaching energy. Our activities get students building, testing, problem-solving, communicating, and working as a team—skills that are becoming even more important in a world where AI can provide an answer in seconds.

We guarantee we have equipment, lessons, challenges, and activities you haven’t thought about using before.

Let us show you what’s available—and how we can help bring it to YOUR classroom.
https://kansasenergyprogram.org/events

08/27/2026

⚡ KANSAS TEACHERS — THIS ONE’S FOR YOU! ⚡

Are you looking for ways to teach ENERGY that are engaging, hands-on, connected to real-world careers, AND build those “durable skills” that parents and employers are looking for?

Come join us for an Energy in Action Workshop this October!

And did we mention it’s FREE? Like…really FREE. 🙌

⚡ FREE professional development
🚗 Mileage reimbursement
📚 FREE curriculum
🧰 FREE materials and resources
🥪 FREE lunch
🏫 Substitute reimbursement

You’ll spend the day actually DOING activities you can take back to your students—not just sitting and listening. You’ll explore hands-on energy activities, real-world applications, career connections, problem solving, teamwork, and more.

PLUS, you’ll learn how the Kansas Energy Program can continue supporting your classroom with more FREE materials, equipment, activities, and resources!

FREE, people! We really mean it! ⚡💗

📍 Three workshops this October! Check out the attached flyer for dates and locations.

👉 Learn more and register here:
https://kansasenergyprogram.org/events

Tag or share this with a Kansas teacher who needs to know about this opportunity!

08/26/2026

🎥Hear it directly from the teachers and students who participated!
What happens when students become energy investigators? They collect real data, use professional energy-auditing equipment, explore STEM careers, and help their schools better understand energy use.
The K-12 Energy Benchmarking Project isn't just another classroom activity—it's a chance for students to solve real-world problems and see how science, technology, engineering, and math work together.
💡 Hands-on investigations
📊 Real data collection
🏫 Meaningful impact in your school
🚀 Career-connected learning
Applications for the 2026-2027 K-12 Energy Benchmarking Project are now open!
https://kansasenergyprogram.org/educators/k-12-energy-benchmarking-project

https://kansasenergyprogram.org/K12EnergyBenchmarkingWorkshop
Watch the video to see why participants are saying "YES!" to Benchmarking.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1006518482081425

08/25/2026

Happy Tuesday, everyone! 💗🔬

Pink Science Diva was taking a little vacation, so it’s time to catch up on what the Kansas Energy Program has been up to! KEP was busy this past week bringing some fun STEM experiences across Kansas.

🚗⛵ Rocks & Rockets – Colby, Kansas
On Saturday, August 15, Brie and David headed to Colby for Rocks & Rockets! There were so many great groups sharing their expertise and hands-on STEM activities, and as always, Sailcars were a big hit!

⚡🏁 Third Thursday – Manhattan, Kansas
On August 20, Mandy, Ryan, and Kurt brought the Power Grid Racetrack to Manhattan’s Third Thursday. Visitors used hand-crank generators to create electricity and power race cars around the track—but there was a catch!

Crank too slowly, and the car stalls. Crank too fast, and the car flies off the track. The challenge is finding just the right amount of power to keep the car moving smoothly.

That makes it a great way to introduce how our electric power grid must stay balanced. Electricity generation and electricity demand have to be matched in real time. If there isn’t enough electricity available to meet demand, the system can experience problems such as brownouts or blackouts. Too much generation can also create instability, so grid operators are constantly working to keep the system balanced.

It may look like a race, but there’s a lot of energy science happening around that track!

So, how much do YOU know about the power grid? 🤔⚡

The power grid is one of KEP’s newest areas of focus, and we are continuing to learn, develop activities, and find engaging ways for students to experience how our electric grid works.

Here are a few pictures from our events! 📸

08/14/2026

🚀🪨 Rocks & Rockets is back! 🪨🚀

Hey, everyone! If you’re in the Colby area and looking for a fun way to spend your Saturday, come check out the 5th Annual Rocks & Rockets!

⚡ The Kansas Energy Program will be there, with Brie and David adding to the excitement with our Sailcar activity! 💨🏎️

What a fabulous way to spend a Saturday with your family—enjoying fun, hands-on educational activities that get kids excited about learning as they head back to the classroom!

While you’re there, stop by and say HI! 👋 You can also learn more about:
💨 KidWind
⚡ Hands-on energy education
📚 FREE resources and materials
👩‍🏫 Support for educators, homeschool families, clubs, and youth leaders

We can’t wait to have some fun and see you there!

A huge THANK YOU to the organizers of Rocks & Rockets for inviting us to be part of such a fun day!

08/12/2026

🎉 Great news for KATS members in Regions 5 & 6!

Thanks to the generous support of Enel, KATS members from school districts in Regions 5 and 6 can attend KATS Kamp with their registration fee covered! 🙌

📍 Not sure if your district is in Region 5 or 6? Check the map below!

When registering:
👉 Choose “Educator – Grant Recipient”
👉 Enter code ENEL

This is a great opportunity to connect, learn, and bring new STEM ideas back to your students—all with your registration covered!

💙 A huge THANK YOU to Enel for supporting Kansas educators and making this opportunity possible. Enel North America

🔗 Registration link: [https://www.kats.org/event-6777706]

Know an educator in Regions 5 or 6? Tag them or share this post with them!

08/01/2026