Special to Iredell Free News
A group of South Iredell High School students has been selected to participate in the Innovation Summit at the NASA Space Center in Houston, Texas, in April
The Conrad Challenge team made up of Mooresville residents Sindhu Gadiraju, Indu Gadiraju and Narayani Garg, was selected out of 823 teams from around the world to compete in the next round.
The purpose-driven innovation competition is designed to create the next generation of entrepreneurs. Participants make new friends and apply science, technology, and innovation to solve problems with global impact.
The South Iredell team received one of the highest scores in the Health and Nutrition category.
“This is an incredible opportunity for us as we will gather with other top young innovators from around the globe at our Innovation Summit,” the students said in a news release.
“We will compete and pitch our innovation under the bright lights to a live panel of judges, composed of top experts across industry, government, and academia,” they added. “We have worked relentlessly these past few months to develop an innovative solution in the Health and Nutrition Category.”
The team’s innovation entails a revolutionary solution to address harmful UV exposure in homes. The students developed a product, named UV Shield, which is a shade technology that filters harmful radiation to reduce overall UV exposure and risk of skin cancer to those inside the home. The product is also connected to an app, called Radiation Reports, which tracks the data and creates predictions based on trends.
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Current estimates are that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. It is estimated that approximately 9,500 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with skin cancer every day.
Beyond the Conrad Challenge, the team is working to foster effective communication, collaboration, and team-building skills to not only improve ourselves as individuals but to also promote STEM awareness and knowledge in the community. Team members have partnered with the Mooresville Public Library to promote STEM in a free and accessible way.
Community Support
The South Iredell team is working to raise money for the trip to Houston. The cost of registration, airfare and hotel fees for the team members and Coach Bruce Macartney are estimated at $6,500.
“This is an incredible opportunity for us and in order to be able to make the most of it, we need your help. This innovation challenge will help us navigate the entrepreneurial world and we want to make the most of this opportunity. We would greatly appreciate any donation amount.”
To help sponsor this team’s trip, visit https://gofund.me/4183bfe7
LEARN MORE
Visit the Conrad Challenge Finalists Page at https://www.conradchallenge.org/2023conradchallengefinalists