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Students from Hartford, Fairfield, and Tolland counties win awards at 2025 RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals
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SIX Connecticut students were honored recently for their ingenuity at the tenth-annual RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals, powered by The Henry Ford.
Local honorees were all recent finalists at the Connecticut Invention Convention (CIC). Among them Rhea D,, Farmington tenth grader who won numerous CIC awards including the ASML Moving the World Forward Award, Lockheed Martin High School Innovator Award, and the NBC Connecting You Award. She was joined at this year’s US Nationals by Ridgefield sixth grader Dash B. who previously received the CIC Belcan Passion to Innovate Award, Troutman Pepper Locke Excellence in STEM Patent Award, UConn School of Business Award, and a U.S. Innovator Challenge Invitation for 2025 and Newington eighth grader Nolan K. recipient of the BI Cares Award at CIC 2025. This inspiring trio, along with students Aarnia D., Ian K. and Anishka V., all went on to win at the prestigious Invention Convention U S Nationals this year.
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These six outstanding innovators were among 70 award-winning K-12 inventors from across the nation who were celebrated during the June 6 awards ceremony hosted by The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation correspondent Albert Lawrence. The ceremony also featured a keynote from aerospace engineer, Blue Origin NS-31 crew member, former NASA rocket scientist and founder and CEO of STEMBoard Aisha Bowe. More than 80 awards, including cash prizes, trophies, medals and patent applications were presented.
The Connecticut honorees include
DASH B. Grade 6, Ridgefield
Honorable Mention, 6th Grade for The TicKill Glove
“The TicKill glove makes taking walks and hikes with your dog safe and fun again. By using the TicKill glove to wipe down your dog when you return from a walk or hike, you can ensure that you have removed any ticks from your dog before they embed and potentially cause lyme disease or other tick-borne illnesses. When you use the TicKill glove to clean your dog, you are protected, and the glove kills ticks dead before they get on you or in your house!”
AARNIA D., Grade 7, Tolland Middle School, Tolland
1st Place, 7th Grade for Splatter, Shield, Stir
“I designed the Splatter, Shield, Stir to ensure the user’s safety in the kitchen. The Splatter Shield Stir is a dome-shaped mesh lid for pots that blocks splatter while allowing you to stir. The design also allows you to add food …through a unique opening at the top. This opening also serves as a spoon rest, while the shape blocks splatters,… it has silicone handles and …the mesh design provides visibility and allows steam to escape.”
RHEA D., Grade 10, Choate Rosemary Hall, Farmington
Technology of Tomorrow Award, Presented by RTX for NeuroStride: A Novel Multi-Modal Smart-Mat Platform for ML D
“NeuroStride is a machine learning-powered gait analysis system that detects the earliest signs of neurocognitive decline. In just 30 seconds of walking, NeuroStride enables early (10-15 years), accurate, and non-invasive detection of conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s with an accuracy of 95%.”
IAN K., Grade 6, Scotts Ridge Middle School, Ridgefield
3rd Place, 6th Grade for Reel Green Tackle
“I invented Reel Green Tackle, which is a natural, biodegradable hard fishing lure and bobber, which are both infused with fish oil to attract fish. I refined the recipe for the bioplastic to be hard and resilient when used for fishing, and biodegradable when discarded in the environment…whenever I go fishing, I see lots of lures, fishing line, and bobbers stuck in trees or on the shore. This contributes to two big problems. Firstly, animals mistake the lures for food and ingest them along with the hooks. In this way, plastic pollution causes over 1 million seabird deaths and over 100,000 marine mammal deaths each year! I do not want my hobby, and the hobby of many others, to contribute to hurting our Earth. Secondly, discarded or lost fishing equipment will degrade into microplastic particles that are ingested by marine life, entering the food chain. “
NOLAN K., Grade 8, John Wallace Middle School, Newington
1st Place, 8th Grade; and Household Organization & Appliances Award for the Super Flipper
“This Invention is a spatula that flips the head 180 degrees with the press of a lever”
ANISHKA V., Grade 9 South Windsor High School, S. Windsor
2nd Place, 9th Grade for HappyTeen’z – Connecting YOU
“Today’s teenagers face extraordinary pressures—from academic expectations and social media comparison to identity formation and family dynamics. Mental health resources for adolescents are often inaccessible, prohibitively expensive, stigmatized, or simply not designed with teenage users in mind. The consequences of this support gap are severe, with rising rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide among young people.
HappyTeenz was created to bridge this critical gap by providing immediate, engaging, and effective mental health support that meets teenagers where they are—on their mobile devices or access app from desktop/laptop. HappyTeenz stands as a pioneering digital solution designed specifically to address the unique emotional and psychological needs of teenagers. This innovative mobile application represents a breakthrough in accessible mental health support, combining evidence-based interventions with engaging technology to create a comprehensive well-being platform for young people.”
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