4-H Delivers

National Science Experiment Helps Tuolumne County 4-H Understand Alternative Energy

The Issue:
After administering a survey, Tuolumne County 4-H found that youth in the community had very little knowledge regarding wind turbines and alternate energy. In order to help educate the community, the county 4-H group decided to utilize the National Youth Science Day curriculum to help the local youth understand how wind turbines worked and how they are an effective form of alternative energy. 

 

What has 4-H Done?:
Two adult volunteers and two youth participants led the experiment in two different settings. First, the group held the experiment during their annual Livestock Field Day and then again later at their Teen Retreat. Throughout the experiment, Youth members enjoyed competing and collaborating with each other to see who could build the most effective turbine. 

 

The Payoff:
After the experiment, the group showcased the most effective turbine designs and asked the youth participants to summarize what they learned. By concluding the event and discussing their results, the youth participants were able to understand which designs were most effective and why. The participants also made a list of what could be powered by wind energy to see how useful and applicable wind energy is to everyday life. Overall, the experiment helped broaden everyone’s understanding of how wind turbines work.