20 High School Teams Advance to Finals of Global Product Challenge

Spirit of Innovation Challenge selects bold, fresh teen innovators for 2013 Innovation Summit

HOUSTON, Feb. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Officials with the Conrad Foundation today announced the names of 20 high school teams from across the U.S., Singapore and China to compete in the final round of the 2012-2013 Spirit of Innovation Challenge. The annual competition, presented by Lockheed Martin and Battelle, challenges teams of students ages 13-18 from around the world to combine innovation and entrepreneurship along with STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) to create commercially-viable products to benefit humanity.

"This program adds context to content and creates an opportunity for students to understand design and innovative thinking skills," said Nancy Conrad, founder and chairman of the Conrad Foundation. "These students represent the best of what can happen when students are given an opportunity to design their future.  The practical knowledge, leadership and teamwork skills they are developing will serve them well as they become the innovative workforce of the 21^st Century."

Finalist teams will present their product concepts at the Innovation Summit, April 10 - 13, to a panel of industry experts, leading entrepreneurs, government officials and world-renowned scientists at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. Products will be evaluated for technical content and marketplace viability.

Prior to the Summit, from March 18 to March 29, the public will have the opportunity to select the People's Choice Award winner by viewing finalist team videos and voting on their favorite innovative product. To review each team and their projects, visit http://www.conradawards.org/groups.

This year's competition challenged students to develop new ideas in the areas of Aerospace & Aviation, Cybertechnology & Security, Energy & Environment, and Health & Nutrition. The finalist teams in each category include:

Aerospace & Aviation: 
Chicks in Space: Neighborhood After School Science Association; Ava, N.Y.
CRM Shielding: Milken Community High School; Los Angeles, Calif.
Kofman Industries: Adlai E. Stevenson High School; Lincolnshire, Ill.
M^3: Warren High School; Downey, Calif.
Team Xavier Falcons: Xavier High School; Middletown, Conn.

Cybertechnology & Security:
AirCOM: North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics; Durham, N.C.
Ions: Monta Vista High School; Fremont, Calif.
RADIANS: Shanghai American School; Shanghai, China
Tinnovate: Cupertino High School; Cupertino, Calif.
Warriors For Change: Mission San Jose High School; San Jose, Calif.

Energy & Environment:
Eco-Cooker: Gulliver Preparatory School; Miami, Fla.
iBump: Hwa Chong Institution; Singapore
Off the grid housing: Sustainability Workshop; Philadelphia, Pa.
Success Academy: Success Academy; Cedar City, Utah
The Greeners: Randolph-Macon Academy; Front Royal, Va.

Health & Nutrition:
Back Straight Boys: Canyon Crest Academy; San Diego, Calif.
MedEasy: Gulliver Preparatory School; Miami, Fla.
pHresh: Battle Creek Area Math and Science Center; Battle Creek, Mich.
Plus Prosthetics: Milken Community High School; Los Angeles, Calif.
The Haverford School 2012: The Haverford School; Haverford, Pa.

The winning team selected in each category will be recognized as Pete Conrad Scholars and receive a Next Step Grant of $10,000 to continue product development.

In addition, two teams from the Cybertechnology & Security category are in the running for an additional prize through the Skybox Out-of-the-Box Challenge. Teams RADIANS and Tinnovate found the most innovative ways to integrate Skybox Imaging's timely high-resolution imagery and video product offerings into their product design. The winning team will be selected at the 2013 Innovation Summit and earn a $5,000 grant from Skybox Imaging.

About The Conrad Foundation
The Conrad Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to transforming the current methods of teaching science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in high schools. Its Spirit of Innovation Challenge is free to all who wish to participate and reaches all socio-economic levels. The Foundation is the only organization of its kind to combine education, innovation and entrepreneurship to inspire solutions for achieving global sustainability. For more information, visit www.conradawards.org.

Media Contact:
Carrie Taylor
Conrad Foundation
Carrie.taylor(a)conradwards.org
281.642.6981

SOURCE Conrad Foundation