Press Release Details

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Toshiba and the NSTA today announced eight national winners of the 30^th annual Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision challenge, the world’s largest K-12 science competition. This year’s winners have shared innovative proposals to help overcome some of the greatest challenges facing the world today, from healthcare challenges to sustainability efforts and energy efficiency.

The Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision challenge is designed to inspire students to develop the skills emphasized in the Next Generation Science Standards, including problem-solving, critical-thinking and collaboration skills. To participate, students must imagine and produce a system or a technology with the potential to solve the problems of the future. Regional finalist ideas were judged by a multidisciplinary panel of scientists across various sectors of government (e.g., NIH, NASA, NSF), academic researchers, biotechnology scientists and physician researchers.

“For 30 consecutive years, students across the U.S. and Canada have demonstrated creativity, passion and intelligence while coming up with new and innovative solutions to some of the world’s biggest, most critical issues,” said Mr. Ryuji Maruyama, Chairman & CEO, Toshiba America, Inc. “We are proud to announce the winners of the 30^th annual ExploraVision challenge. These students – with the support of their coaches, mentors, family and friends – are pushing the boundaries of modern science and we are continually inspired by their commitment to making the world a better place.”

“As we celebrate the 30^th year of ExploraVision, we are reminded of all the amazing projects that students have created over the years. It is always rewarding to see students of all ages working on the cutting edge of science and technology advancement use their ingenuity and innovation to envision solutions that could define our shared future,” said Eric Pyle, NSTA President. “We are extremely proud of all the national winners, current and from years past, and commend all the educators and mentors for their dedication and encouragement of their students to explore science.”

The eight winning projects of the 30^th Annual ExploraVision challenge reflect impressive ideas ranging from medical treatment and health innovations to sustainability and conservation.

Medical Treatment and Health Innovations
Projects related to medical treatment and health innovations were acknowledged through the use of their innovation and creativity to envision treatment and/or prevention to medical conditions. The Nightmare-No-More-Pajamas project aimed at creating a peaceful night’s rest by utilizing sleep monitoring sensors and electrodes to aid in the balance of the sleep/wake cycle. The CC Bot project created a nanobot solution to detect and eliminate heart disease. The iSpyStroke project sought to create a life-saving technology to protect individuals suffering from wake-up strokes. The Diabetic Balance Shoe sought to eliminate foot ulcers caused by diabetes.

Sustainability and Ecosystem Preservation
There were several projects focused on sustainability and ecosystem preservation that rose to become the national finalists. The Fungi Plastivore Purifier project showcases an innovative use of advanced LIDAR technology for detecting plastic in areas and harnessing solar energy to protect the environment. The Replenishanator project helps with deforestation using technology to improve planting methods. Another team, the AI 3000, utilized drone technology to create remotely operated vehicles that collect and degrade microplastics. CRISPR Technology was also showcased through the use of honeybees and genetically engineered neonicotinoid degrading microbiomes of bacteria to help combat bee mortality.

ExploraVision Prizes
The eight national winning teams are comprised of a first-place winner and second-place winner from four groups based on grade level. Members of first place nationally winning teams each receive a $10,000 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond (at maturity). Members of second place nationally winning teams will each receive a $5,000 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond (at maturity).

The national winners of ExploraVision 2022 are invited to participate in an award ceremony on Friday, June 3 in Washington, D.C., during which winners will have the opportunity to showcase their winning ideas in a presentation to scientist, engineer, comedian, author and inventor, Bill Nye the Science Guy. The event will culminate with an awards ceremony where students will be formally recognized for their creativity and accomplishments.

For 30 consecutive years, ExploraVision has helped children to expand their imagination and have fun while developing an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education at an early age.

For more information or to access an application for the 2022/2023 program, visit www.exploravision.org or email [email protected]. Follow ExploraVision on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ToshibaAmericaor join the ExploraVision Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/ToshibaAmerica.

Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision 2022 National Winners

2022 First-Place Winners
Grade K-3: Nightmare-No-More Pajamas
Greenfield Elementary, Philadelphia, PA
Project Storyboard

Grade 4-6: Fungi Plastivore Purifier
Queen of Peace, Salem, OR
Website

Grade 7-9: CC Bot (Coronary Cure Bot)
Seattle Preparatory School and Holy Names, Seattle, WA
Website

Grade 10-12: iSpyStroke
University of Illinois Laboratory High School, Urbana, IL
Website

2022 Second-Place Winners
Grade K-3 : Diabetic Balance Shoe
Sonny & Joanne McSpedden Elementary School, Frisco,TX
Project Storyboard

Grade 4-6 : The Replenishanator
A.D. Henderson University School, Boca Raton, FL
Website

Grade 7-9 : A.L. 3000: An autonomous remotely-operated vehicle to collect and degrade ocean microsplastics
Academies of Loudoun – Leesburg, VA
Website

Grade 10-12 : Genetically Engineering A Neonicotinoid-Degrading Microbiome Bacteria Using CRISPR Technology to Create a Probeeotic that Combats Bee Mortality
Westminster High School – Westminster, CA
Website

About Toshiba
Toshiba Corporation leads a global group of companies that combines knowledge and capabilities from over 140 years of experience in a wide range of businesses—from energy and social infrastructure to electronic devices—with world-class capabilities in information processing, digital and AI technologies. These distinctive strengths support Toshiba’s continued evolution toward becoming an Infrastructure Services Company that promotes data utilization and digitization, and one of the world’s leading cyber-physical-systems technology companies. Guided by the Basic Commitment of the Toshiba Group, “Committed to People, Committed to the Future,” Toshiba contributes to society’s positive development with services and solutions that lead to a better world. The Group and its 120,000 employees worldwide secured annual sales surpassing 3.1 trillion yen (US$27.5 billion) in fiscal year 2020.

About Toshiba America, Inc.
Founded in 1965, Toshiba America, Inc. (TAI) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Toshiba Corporation and the holding company of three Toshiba operating companies that offer a broad range of products and solutions for the commercial, energy and industrial sectors. The three companies, which along with TAI are known collectively as Toshiba America Group, are Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (Semiconductor & data storage solutions), Toshiba America Energy Systems, Corp. (Power generation solutions), and Toshiba International Corporation (Industrial, power electronics & transmission & distribution solutions).

About NSTA
The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) is a vibrant community of 40,000 science educators and professionals committed to best practices in teaching science and its impact on student learning. NSTA offers high quality science resources and continuous learning so that science educators grow professionally and excel in their career. For new and experienced teachers alike, the NSTA community offers the opportunity to network with like-minded peers at the national level, connect with mentors and leading researchers, and learn from the best in the field.