14-Year-Old Leanne Fan Named America's Top Young Scientist For Inventing Headphones That Treat Ear Infections.

In 2019, Leanne Fan watched her older sister claim the top prize at the 3M Young Scientist Challenge — the premier science competition in the U.S. for middle school kids — and it inspired her to want to compete too. This fall, the eighth grader from Westview High School in San Diego was named America's Top Young Scientist! She won the prize for her innovative, inexpensive pair of blue-light therapy headphones that could be used to both identify and treat mid-ear infections, potentially preventing millions of children from experiencing hearing loss. The victory comes with a $25,000 prize, a special destination trip, and the chance to get her device, the Finsen Headphones, in front of investors. "I was in shock. I started crying," Leanne says. "I was really excited. I was not expecting it." Continue reading → Continue reading

Six of the ten national finalists in the premier science competition for middle schoolers are Mighty Girls! In this post, we introduce the girls and their incredible projects.

The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge is the premier science competition in the U.S. for middle school kids and, like every year, the Mighty Girls in the competition continue to astound! The event challenges kids in 5th through 8th grades to use their scientific know-how to come up with an invention or solution that addresses an everyday problem. Whether it's an issue that affects themselves, their family, their community, or the whole world, they get to turn their ingenuity and drive towards making a difference — and every year, it's amazing what these young scientists think up!

This year, in a show of how girls and women are on the leading edge of science, six out of the ten national finalists are Mighty Girl scientists! These Young Scientist finalists will be spending their summers working with mentors to develop their visions into a more polished prototype, and we can't wait to see the results at the finals in October, where they'll be vying for a $25,000 prize and the title of "America's Top Young Scientist" for 2017.

In this blog post, we introduce you to these six clever and creative Mighty Girls and their incredible projects. From harnessing an unexpected source of clean energy to cleaning up oil spills with everyday materials to changing the way we design medical equipment for kids, these Mighty Girls' inventive solutions to everyday problems will inspire science lovers of every age! Continue reading → Continue reading