SILVER SPRING, Md. and
ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 3M (@3M) and
Discovery Education (@DiscoveryEd) have named 11-year-old
Gitanjali Rao from Lone Tree, Colo., the winner of the 2017
Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge (#YoungScientist).
Gitanjali is working to develop Tethys, a sensor-based
device that can detect lead in water faster than other current
techniques.
Rather than using expensive equipment for testing, Gitanjali's
cost-effective approach to water safety uses a mobile app that
populates the water's status almost immediately. Tethys is
designed to be portable and easy to use, allowing individuals
to test water safety whenever needed. She hopes to solve the water
contamination crisis and decrease long-term health effects from
lead exposure.
A seventh-grader at STEM School and Academy, Gitanjali competed
alongside nine other finalists during a live competition at the 3M
Innovation Center in St. Paul,
Minn. She was awarded the title of "America's Top Young
Scientist" as well as a $25,000
prize.
During the past three months, Gitanjali and the other finalists
had the exclusive opportunity to work directly with a 3M scientist
to develop their innovations as part of a unique summer mentorship
program. Gitanjali was paired with Dr. Kathleen Shafer, a 3M research specialist who
develops new plastics technologies that have real-world
applications in dentistry and other fields.
Each of the students collaborated with some of 3M's leading
scientists, who provided guidance as they worked through the
scientific method to advance their ideas from a theoretical concept
into a physical prototype. Together, the 3M mentors and finalists
shared their passion for science, reviewed the scientific process
and worked virtually through pre-assigned objectives, with
resources and support provided by 3M and Discovery Education.
"3M's commitment to the next generation of science leaders is
energized each year by the creativity and ingenuity of these young
scientists," said Paul Keel, senior
vice president, business development and marketing-sales, 3M.
"Making the world a better place through science starts with a
spark of curiosity, which leads to passion – and results in making
an impact. 3M is inspired by these finalists and their
contributions to making lives better."
During the final competition, the finalists presented their
inventions to an esteemed panel of 3M scientists, school
superintendents and administrators from across the country. In
addition to presenting their prototypes, the ten finalists paired
up to compete in two additional challenges through which they
combined multiple 3M technologies to solve a real-world
problems.
"Discovery Education proudly joins 3M to celebrate a 10-year
commitment to fostering the next generation of passionate
innovators," said Lori McFarling,
senior vice-president and chief marketing officer, Discovery
Education. "Empowering students with access to innovative learning
opportunities sharpens their mastery of critical thinking and
problem-solving skills, and ignites their desire to improve the
world with science."
For teachers, students and parents seeking a place to explore
the world of scientific innovations and opportunities, Discovery
Education and 3M developed the Young Scientist Lab, an interactive
portal filled with engaging activities and standards-aligned
teaching tools, anchored by the award-winning annual Young
Scientist Challenge.
The remaining nine finalists received $1,000 and a variety of prizes from Discovery
Education and 3M. The second, third and fourth runners-up also
received a trip to a taping of a show on Discovery's family of
networks.
These extraordinary students are:
- Rithvik Ganesh, an eighth-grader at C.M. Rice Middle
School from Plano, Texas, received
second place. Rithvik built upon existing research to conduct tests
and identify one lead molecule from Apigenin, a compound found in
fruits and vegetables, that could potentially be used to treat
Alzheimer's disease. Looking forward, Rithvik hopes to take his
findings through in vitro and in vivo testing and improve thousands
of lives affected by Alzheimer's disease.
- Kathryn Lampo, a ninth-grader at Legacy High School in
Broomfield, Colo., received third
place. Kate created Lawn Bot, a water management robot
designed to help individuals reduce the amount of fresh water
wasted during home lawn care. Kate's innovation aims to be a more
cost-effective and aesthetic water management system that measures
the moisture content in soil. Made from starch-based plastic and
powered by solar energy, Lawn Bot is also environmentally
friendly. Kate hopes her innovation will help reduce the amount of
fresh water wasted.
- Devin Willis, a ninth-grader from Florida Atlantic University High School in
Boca Raton, Fla., received fourth
place. Devin created SLIDEMAP, a device that integrates a
motorized stage used in 3-D printers, microscope imaging and
machine learning algorithms to distinguish a tumor as cancerous or
benign, increasing accuracy and speed of diagnoses. Devin was
inspired to improve the state of treatment after his grandfather
passed away from cancer, and tapped into his passion for robotics
to develop a solution. He hopes his innovation will improve current
standards of global healthcare by enabling faster, more accurate
and affordable diagnoses, especially in developing countries where
access to medical professionals is scarce.
The fifth through tenth place winners each received a
$1,000 prize and a $500 excitations gift card. These finalists, in
alphabetical order by last name, are:
- Laalitya Acharya, a ninth-grader at William Mason High
School in Mason, Ohio, Laalitya
invented ELIE – or "Environmentally Low Impact Energy"
device – that generates energy from multiple sources to increase
alternative energy use in the U.S. and across the world. Her
prototype uses a low-flow low-head, portable water turbine, piezos
and solar panels to generate electricity in multiple
environments.
- Anika Bhagavatula, a ninth-grader at Wilton High School
in Wilton, Conn., invented
EcoBoom, a natural solution to clean up oil spills using
pomegranate husks and orange peels. Anika's research on major
oil spills in the U.S. led her to develop a protoype that can
absorb oil four-to-five times its weight. Major oil spill
incidents, which can cause approximately 1.3 million gallons of
petroleum to spill into U.S. waters each year, inspired Anika to
explore cost-effective, biodegradable options that can remedy this
national and global issue.
- Austin Crouchley, an eighth-grader at Garden City Middle
School in Garden City, N.Y., in
Garden City School District,
created an affordable way to provide electricity and clean water
using solar energy. Austin's device features a pulley
mechanism, allowing its solar panel to constantly face the sun and
produce 18 percent more electricity than a fixed panel.
Contaminated water is a major health risk in developing countries,
and Austin hopes his innovation can increase clean water supply
used for drinking, farm irrigation and livestock, alleviating
energy poverty around the globe.
- Simone Jacobs, an eighth-grader at Washington Middle
School in Seattle, Wash., invented
Sill Sentry, a device to help prevent children
from falling out of windows. When a potentially dangerous
situation is detected on the windowsill, a net is deployed to swoop
up and stop the child from falling out of the window. Simone
believes her innovation is a superior alternative to current window
safety technology and hopes that it will be able to save many lives
and trips to the emergency room.
- Samu Shrestha, a ninth-grader from Highlands Ranch High
School in Highlands Ranch, Colo.,
developed a mobile app that provides individuals with disabilities
control of computer or mobile devices by using head movements,
facial expressions and hand gestures. He was inspired to help a
classmate with disabilities manipulate mobile devices like the rest
of his classmates. Samu's innovation could unlock interaction with
the digital world for individuals with disabilities and bridge the
interaction gap for internet users worldwide.
- Allie Weber, a seventh-grader from Edison Middle School in Sioux Falls, S.D., created a breathing device
that doubles as a suction dart toy to allow child respiratory
patients to have fun while doctors collect essential medical
measurements during their treatments and hospital stays.
Since its inception, the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist
Challenge has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in student
prizes, paired students with world-renowned scientists to give them
real-world insights and delivered much-needed science resources to
millions of students, teachers and families across the country. It
targets students in the years when research indicates their
interest in science begins to wane and encourages them to explore
scientific concepts and creatively communicate their findings.
Winners have gone on to be featured in Forbes magazine's annual "30 Under 30"
list, speak in front of members of Congress and attendees at the
United Nations, meet the President of the
United States, and demonstrate innovations on national
television programs such as ABC World News Tonight, Fox &
Friends, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
The annual premier competition recognizes scientific thinking
and curiosity in students grades 5-8 who dream up a solution to an
everyday problem that ultimately could reshape and improve the way
we live our lives. To download hi-res images and video of the
science competition, click here. For more information on the 2017
Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge and to learn more
about this year's finalists, go to www.YoungScientistLab.com.
Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge materials are
also available through Discovery Education Streaming Plus. For
more information about Discovery Education's digital content and
professional development services,
visit www.discoveryeducation.com. Stay connected with
Discovery Education on social media through Facebook, follow
us on Twitter at @DiscoveryEd, or find us
on Instagram.
About 3M
At 3M, we apply science in collaborative ways
to improve lives daily. With $30
billion in sales, our 90,000 employees connect with
customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M's creative
solutions to the world's problems at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M
or @3MNewsroom.
About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the
global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12,
transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital
textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, and the
largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 4.5
million educators and over 50 million students, Discovery
Education's services are in half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of
all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries.
Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and
like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers,
and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase
academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery
Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one
nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of
education at www.discoveryeducation.com.
CONTACTS:
Katie Alper, for 3M
646-935-4325, Katie.Alper@ketchum.com
Charmion N. Kinder,
Discovery Education
240-274-2173, Charmion_Kinder@discovery.com
View original content with
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/3m-and-discovery-education-celebrate-10th-anniversary-of-young-scientist-challenge-awards-americas-top-scientist-with-25000-prize-300538793.html
SOURCE Discovery Education