Close Menu Element

Mobile Search Element

Mobile Portals

School Name

Left Header

Top Portals

Right Header

RSS Feeds Subscribe to Alerts
NC Renewable Energy Challenge competition winners from First Flight Middle and High School
First Flight Schools Dominate NC Renewable Energy Challenge
Hannah Nash
NC Renewable Energy Challenge competition winners from First Flight Middle and High School

NC Renewable Energy Challenge competition winners from First Flight Middle and High School, along with CTE Coordinator Dr. Duke Wallin and Dare County Schools Superintendent Steve Basnight. 

First Flight Schools Dominate NC Renewable Energy Challenge, Earn Invitation to KidWind Challenge Worlds

Students from First Flight Middle School and First Flight High School showcased their engineering and renewable energy expertise this past weekend, earning top honors at the North Carolina Renewable Energy Challenge held at the Coastal Studies Institute in Wanchese.

 
First Flight students performed exceptionally well in their challenges and interviews, securing top placements in their respective divisions.
 

Water Turbine Contest – High School Division

  • 1st place: Alex Sharp (First Flight High)
  • 2nd place: Autumn Sailor, Aidan Tabolt, and Harry Lipchak (First Flight High team)
Water Turbine Contest winners from First Flight High School with awards.

Water Turbine Contest winners from First Flight High School. Pictured left to right: Autumn Sailor, Aidan Tabolt, Harry Lipchak, and Alex Sharp.

Wind Turbine Contest – 4th-8th Grade Division

  • 1st place: Adriana Daniels, Enzo Piacenza, Diego Reyes-Avila, and Heidi Wisecarver (First Flight Middle team)
Wind Turbine Contest winners from First Flight Middle School.

Wind Turbine Contest winners from First Flight Middle School. Pictured left to right: Adriana Daniels, Liz Gray, Enzo Piacenza, Heidi Wisecarver, and Diego Reyes-Avila.

Wind Turbine Contest – High School Division

  • 1st place: Autumn Sailor, Aidan Tabolt, and Harry Lipchak (First Flight High team)

Competitors from First Flight High and First Flight Middle earned a total of $900 in prize money and an invitation to represent North Carolina at the 2025 KidWind Challenge Worlds in Phoenix, Arizona, this May. The national event will bring together top student innovators from across the globe to showcase their renewable energy solutions and engineering skills.

In addition to the wind and water turbine contests, students participated in four mini-challenges and interviews to earn extra points. The event concluded with a presentation by keynote speaker Dr. Matthew Bryant, head of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at NC State University. His lecture focused on the Blue Economy—the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth while preserving the health of ocean ecosystems—and highlighted two autonomous vehicles the university has designed.

These students have put in an incredible amount of effort, and their results speak for themselves,” said Dr. Duke Wallin, First Flight High School’s career development coordinator (CTE) and co-coach. “Winning at both the middle and high school levels reflects the strength of our STEM and Career & Technical Education programs here in Dare County, and we are incredibly proud of their accomplishments.”

Both schools' success was made possible with the support of their coaches, teachers, and families.

  • First Flight Middle School students were coached by Liz Gray (STEM teacher), Tracey Deans (eighth grade science teacher), and Ashley Basnight (CTE coordinator).
  • First Flight High School students were coached by Mike Phelan (CTE computer science), Brian dePedro (CTE carpentry), and Duke Wallin (CTE coordinator).

About the NC Renewable Energy Challenge

Funded by the North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program and hosted by the Coastal Studies Institute in partnership with KidWind and Jennette’s Pier, the daylong North Carolina Renewable Energy Challenge takes place annually at the ECU Outer Banks Campus in Wanchese. Competing students design and build alternative energy devices, then compete to create the most efficient design. The challenge aims to increase student interest in green technology, promote innovation, and foster 21st-century skills that better prepare students for careers in the growing renewable energy industry.