Windmill Challenge: Building Tomorrow’s Engineers Today

We invite your company to become a vital partner in the Windmill Challenge, an exciting, hands-on STEM project designed to introduce 3rd graders to engineering, design thinking, and renewable energy. Through an engaging, story-driven experience, students help the fictional town of Windyville restore power after a storm by designing and building windmills using recycled materials and 3D-printed parts.

This project goes beyond the classroom. It offers students a real-world opportunity to develop critical problem-solving skills and sparks a lasting interest in STEM careers. The University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) supports you throughout the entire process, connecting your team with local schools, providing resources, and ensuring your involvement is meaningful and impactful. Whether your company offers engineers, volunteers, or simply a desire to give back, your partnership will make a direct difference in students’ lives.

The Windmill Challenge is perfectly designed as an introductory engineering project that makes learning fun, accessible, and inspiring for young learners. It builds confidence, encourages creativity, and helps students begin to see themselves as future innovators and engineers. As part of the project, students also get a hands-on introduction to 3D printing technology, learning how designs can be brought to life in tangible ways, which further ignites their excitement and understanding of modern engineering.

You can support this initiative in a number of ways:

• Volunteer in the classroom to mentor and guide students as they build and test their windmill designs
• Share engineering knowledge to inspire and inform young minds
• Demonstrate 3D printing and help students connect design to creation
• Donate materials by contributing through our Amazon wish list to ensure classrooms have the tools they need
• Encourage your employees to engage with a local school district and be a part of something bigger than themselves

By getting involved, you’re helping to build a pipeline of future talent and investing in the innovators of tomorrow. Early exposure matters and your support could be the spark that lights a lifelong passion for STEM.

Together empower a new generation to dream big and innovate boldly. With UDRI as your partner, you’ll have everything you need to make a lasting impact. Join us in this exciting journey to inspire the engineers of tomorrow, one windmill at a time.