KidWind Bus Project Begins

 What do you see?

If you said a small bus then you have told me what it IS. Please read on…

What I see is a vehicle that can be used to bring, to teachers, the knowledge and skills needed to design, build and test model wind turbines or solar PV systems to produce electricity from the wind and sun.

Why? The production of electricity from the wind and sun is here. To understand it we need to teach it in our schools. This will require the teaching of teachers first. How?

This bus when finished will be equipped with the necessary tools and materials to achieve this goal. 

How will it work? The teacher/s interested in learning the hands-on skills and knowledge to design, build and test a model wind turbine or PV solar system to produce electricity will schedule a mutually workable time and school or location for the bus and instructor (myself) to come and work with them.  Think of it like going on You Tube to learn something and then having the person making the You Tube video drive up with the equipment and materials to actually work with. 

The saying is, “I hear it I forget it, I see it I remember it, I do it I understand it.” 

Industrial Technology classes in public schools today have undergone a lot of change. When I was teaching in the 70’s it was call Shop class. Then Industrial Education, and now Industrial Tech. Likewise in preparing today’s teachers the skills and knowledge covered in preparing today’s “Shop” teacher has changed a lot. People have recognized that the skilled trades and the workers are very important. Technology changes rapidly and teachers need to keep up as it changes. I believe the time has come for this bus and the work that it will do has come. You cannot teach something you know nothing about.

The KidWind program started over 20 years ago and has facilitated over 1,200 in-person workshops. These trainings broaden educator’s knowledge of STEM topics and clean energy, explore project-based pedagogies, and provide details about participating in the KidWind Challenges. In addition, we provide classroom materials. We offer a variety of workshops depending on the goals of the participants. 

It is going to take a village of supporters to make this a reality. So if you are reading this and see what I “see” and want to learn more or be a supporter contact me, Dick Anderson in Darlington, WI or KidWind.org a 501c3 organization.

I look forward to hearing from like minded people like yourself that believe we need to teach about the future of clean renewable energy, today!

Thanks 

40 for 40 Gazebo finish. What do you see?

 I liked to ask my Building Trades  students this question, while holding up a piece of 2x4 “What do you see?” Instantly hands shot up and with confidence the answer given,  A 2x4! 

To which I responded, wrong. That’s what it is. I asked what do you see? Puzzled looks swept over the class. 

With that example in mind here is what I saw when Arnie showed up at my door at 7am in the morning last fall and wanted to know if I wanted some logs from a couple of pine trees that he was cutting down for a neighbor of mine.

Well not right away. It took a look at my latest issue of the Timber Framers guild magazine where I saw a picture of structures that were featured at the 2025 annual conference.

With the layout of the post holes location done and dug it was on to the next step.

This was a fun part of the process as I took the preassembled post and brace units and laid them out by the holes. I took this picture from the top of the treehouse that would overlook the gazebo when finished.

This would require the disassembly of the roof rafters to get to the rim joist to complete the top of the posts. An important point here is that would be to measure and record the exact height of the #1 rafter from the top of the rim joist. This would be key to the reassembly process.

Even though the rafters were numbered I carefully laid them out for reassembly.

Getting the posts stood up and tied together with the rim joist was trickier than I expected. I thought the scaffolding would do all the work and all I would have to do was set the rim on the mortises cut in rim pieces. I was a struggle but worked.

With the rim set and the posts plumb I set in place the first two rafters. Using my Charlie stick shown as the black disc supported on the 4x6 and double 2x4 bridging, with fingers crossed, I secured them in place. Because if this placement was wrong I would be in big trouble when it came to the last rafters holes lining up. 

To my pleasant surprise I went very well with a little help from my mini tractor.

This is the money shot for me.

I will have many hours of viewing time from above and below in the future.

What do you see?