Photo via: Inclusive Innovation Incubator
Together, D.C.'s Benjamin Banneker Academic High School students Bria Snell, India Skinner and Mikayla Sharrieff developed a water filter that seeks to address problems with lead pipes in urban areas. For their work at the Inclusive Innovation Incubator, the 11th graders were named one of the eight national finalists for the NASA Goddard Optimus Prime Spinoff Promotion and Research Challenge (OPSPARC)- which as reported by Technically D.C., "challenges students to find uses for NASA spinoff technology in everyday life." Among all the finalists, they are the only team on the east coast to be chosen.
According to Technical.ly D.C., their Glog project, "called S3Trio H2NO to H20, shows a filter that's designed to clean drinking water in schools. They noted that D.C. is currently renovating many schools, where it could be used.
#DCProud of @Banneker_HS students, Mikayla, India, and Bria! Congrats on becoming one of eight national finalists in the @NASAGoddard OPSPARC Challenge - the ONLY team on the East Coast to be selected as a finalist. Keep up the good work ladies! 👏🏾https://t.co/t4CVsja38v pic.twitter.com/Mcyul2D0r4
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) April 24, 2018
If selected as the winner, the ladies will be invited to NASA Goddard in Greenbelt, Maryland, where they will spend two days attending workshops with scientists and astronauts. They will also receive $4,000. Public choice voting closes at 11:15 pm ET on April 30.
So far, it appears the ladies are in first place. Congratulations, Bria, India, and Mikayla. We're already so proud of you!
Click here to vote. Note: Their names are last on the list under grades 9-12.