DC students named finalists in NASA spinoff competition

Three students from D.C.’s Benjamin Banneker Academic High School are among eight finalists in a competition challenging students to find uses for NASA spinoff technology in everyday life.

Eleventh graders Bria Snell, India Skinner and Mikayla Sharrieff created their project to address issues with lead pipes in urban aras as part of work at the Inclusive Innovation Incubator, according to a press release.

#DCProud of @Banneker_HS students, Mikayla, India, and Bria! Congrats on becoming one of eight national finalists in the @NASAGoddard OPSPARC Challenge – the ONLY team on the East Coast to be selected as a finalist. Keep up the good work ladies! 👏🏾https://t.co/t4CVsja38v pic.twitter.com/Mcyul2D0r4

— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) April 24, 2018

The team, which goes by S³, is a finalist for the NASA Goddard OPSPARC Challenge. Winning teams get invited to NASA Goddard in Greenbelt, Md., for two days of workshops with scientists and astronauts, as well as $4,000. Public Choice Voting is open through April 30.

The Glog project, called S³Trio H₂NO to H₂0, shows a filter that’s designed to clean drinking water in schools. They noted that D.C. is currently renovating many schools, where it could be used.

Along with the project, the team has been exploring tech industry areas including coding, community problem-solving through design, social networking, entrepreneurship and mobile app development at In3. It’s part of a program at their high school.

Along the way, they got support and In3 CEO Aaron Saunders, community manager Marissa Jennings and Travis Bolden of Hales Government Solutions.