Huntington SEARCH program participants sparkled in this year’s Toshiba/National Science Teachers Assn. ExploraVision challenge, which drew entries from K-12 students across the United States and Canada.
Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School sixth graders Grace Bartasi, Janita Files and Jacob Boxer joined together to form an award winning project team. Their entry was among only 23 nationwide to win regional honors and advance to the national level competition.
Huntington UFSD SEARCH teacher Jessica Risalvato.
The sixth graders have been studying with Huntington SEARCH teacher Jessica Risalvato, who called the announcement that the group had earned regional honors “fantastic news.”
“The 30th year of the ExploraVision program saw students come up with critical and creative solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems,” said Ryuji Maruyama, chairman and CEO of Toshiba America, Inc. “We applaud our winners and all our entrants for their resilience as well as their ideas for new technologies and smart solutions that improve and enhance our lives and communities.”
ExploraVision participants were challenged to come up with potential solutions to solve problems that may exist in 10 years or more. Using real scientific research, students outlined methods to plan and test their ideas. In the next phase of competition, the winning regional teams will be asked to build webpages and short videos to communicate and exhibit their ideas to the public.
Ms. Bartasi, Ms. Files and Mr. Boxer produced a very impressive project by any standards. “Ecosystems around the world struggle with invasive species for which they have no defenses,” states the team’s project abstract. “The Invasive Species Eradicator (ISE) is a drone designed to detect invasive species and inject pesticides or herbicides into their nervous systems or roots while limiting negative impact on the surrounding ecosystems. ISE can work 24/7, requiring only a landing bay where it autonomously performs simple repairs, refills pesticides or herbicides, and changes its battery. ISE will mark treated plants and bugs to identify them as not requiring further treatment.”
The Huntington sixth grade SEARCH program students said their drone is capable of being programmed to target specific types of invasive species. “With a built-in search engine, ISE is able to identify specific bugs and plants at all stages of growth and in all seasons,” states the group’s project abstract. “The search engine will also direct ISE to locate the proper injection site. ISE does not require manual controls. It is fully programmable to function independently in a designated area.”
The trio worked together mainly outside of school hours, utilizing an assortment of high tech methods to communicate, research, assemble research and present their findings. Earlier this week, they met virtually with contest officials to discuss their project and research methods while their teacher, principal and parents looked on in the SEARCH classroom at Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School.
“At the national level they can potentially win a $5,000 or $10,000 savings bond, as well as an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C.” Ms. Risalvato said. As regional winners, the Huntington sixth graders will each receive a Chromebook and a special certificate.
The Huntington trio is among a group of spectacular finalists from across the country. “The level of creativity and dedication these students have shown through their projects is truly amazing,” National Science Teachers Association President Eric Pyle said. “Their imaginative ideas are shining examples of the innovation teachers of science try to foster every day in science classrooms, museums and zoos nationwide. We congratulate the ExploraVision regional winners on what they’ve achieved so far and applaud all of the team coaches for engaging and inspiring their students to make a real difference in the world that they will inherit.”