Discovery Education And 3M Announce 2014 Science Competition Winner

ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery Education and 3M have named 14-year-old Sahil Doshi from Pittsburgh, Penn. the winner of the 2014 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge for his innovative, eco-friendly battery design. Inspired by the 1.2 billion people worldwide who lack access to electricity and the rising levels of toxic air pollution, Doshi was determined to create an energy storage device that could help lower harmful greenhouse gases while generating electricity for those in need. His prototype – the PolluCell – converts carbon dioxide into electricity, ingeniously helping to reduce our carbon footprint while offering power for household uses and developing nations.  

Doshi, a ninth grader from Upper St. Clair School District's Upper St. Clair High School, competed alongside nine other finalists yesterday during a live competition at the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minn., and was awarded the title of "America's Top Young Scientist," $25,000 and a student adventure trip to a destination such as Costa Rica.

To download hi-res images and b-roll footage of the science competition, go to www.youngscientistchallengemedia.com.

Over the past three months, Doshi and the other finalists had the exclusive opportunity to work directly with a 3M Scientist as they created their personal innovations as part of a summer mentorship program. Students met virtually with their 3M Scientist Mentors, who provided guidance to the finalists as they developed their ideas from a theoretical concept into an actual prototype that would help solve a problem in everyday life.

During the final competition yesterday, the finalists shared their completed innovations with a panel of distinguished judges. In addition to presenting their prototypes, the ten finalists competed in two additional challenges where they were asked to: 1) combine multiple 3M technologies to yield new solutions; and 2) build a simple machine using science and engineering principles. Kari Byron, host of Discovery Channel's MythBusters, served as a guest judge, as well as a special guest at the awards banquet. Also serving as a guest judge was Peyton Robertson, a seventh grader at Stanford University's middle school program, who was named last year's Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge winner for his innovative sandbag design.

"The Young Scientist Challenge at its core celebrates the wonder of science and students who embrace innovation and creativity," said Bill Goodwyn, President and CEO, Discovery Education. "Discovery Education is deeply committed to supporting students with unique learning opportunities that encourage them to think critically about the world around them. We are honored to stand alongside 3M in congratulating Sahil and the rest of this year's finalists for their dedication and innovative thinking. I am certain that they will make a meaningful impact on society in the years to come."

"At 3M, scientific exploration is a way of life. It has been a remarkable experience to watch these young scientists embrace the passion and innovative spirit of our science community through the summer mentorship program to create amazing solutions to everyday problems," added Jesse Singh, Senior Vice President, 3M. "Our partnership with Discovery Education underscores our shared values and vision to not only support the next generation of scientific thinkers but also nurture their dedication and curiosity as they work to transform the world. We congratulate them all!"

The remaining nine finalists also received a variety of prizes from Discovery Education and 3M. The second, third and fourth place winners each received a $1,000 prize and a student adventure trip to a destination such as Costa Rica. These extraordinary students are:

• Katherine Wu from North Potomac, Md., a ninth grader at Montgomery County Public School's Montgomery Blair High School, received second place for her innovation that proactively prevents dangerous drowsy driving.
• Jai Kumar from South Riding, Va., a seventh grader at Loudoun County Public School's J. Michael Lunsford Middle School, received third place for his innovative, window-mounted air purification system that prevents harmful pollutants from entering the home.
• Christopher Isozaki from Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., a ninth grader at Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District's Palos Verdes High School, received fourth place for his innovative computer cooling system.

The fifth through tenth place winners each received a $1,000 prize and a $500 gift card from Discovery Experiences, which offers first-hand, memorable adventures they see and learn about on Discovery's networks. These finalists include:

• Mythri Ambatipudi from San Jose, Calif., a ninth grader at Saint Francis High School
• David Cohen from Dallas, Tex., a ninth grader at SR Academy of Dallas  
• Ana Humphrey from Alexandria, Va., an eighth grader at Alexandria City Public School's George Washington Middle School
• Tony Kim from Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., a seventh grader at Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District's Ridgecrest Intermediate School
• Andrew Masek from North Attleborough, Mass., an eighth grader at North Attleborough Public School's North Attleborough Middle School
• Nikita Rafikov from Evans, Ga., a seventh grader at Columbia County School's Riverside Middle School

Since its inception, the Young Scientist Challenge has awarded more than $500,000 in student scholarships and prizes, paired students with working scientists to give them real-world insights and delivered much-needed science resources to millions of students, teachers and families across the country. Winners have gone on to speak in front of members of Congress, meet the President of the United States, work with the nation's top scientists and pursue academic careers in science.

For more information on the 2014 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge and to learn more about this year's finalists, go to www.YoungScientistChallenge.com.

About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $31 billion in sales, 3M employs 89,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.

About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content and professional development for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content that supports the implementation of Common Core, professional development, assessment tools, and the largest professional learning community of its kind.  Available in over half of all U.S. schools and primary schools in England, community colleges and in 50 countries around the world, Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that accelerate 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.

SOURCE Discovery Education

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