San Jon among STEM winners

San Jon Municipal Schools was among 20 schools that won the inaugural New Mexico Governor's STEM Challenge on Dec. 7 at Los Lunas High School.

The San Jon students on the CIPPS Techies team were sophomore SaiSravya Bandla, sophomore Jenna Lopez and junior Sayler Sours.

The team proposed a SHWAP, or spilling hose water accident preventer, after surveying 100 residents in San Jon and finding 88% had forgotten to turn off a water hose at least once. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about 900 billion gallons of water may be wasted via household leaks each year.

The team designed SHWAP, a sensing mechanism that would inform a homeowner when he or she had forgotten to turn off a water hose after a certain amount of time, for an estimated cost of $37. It scrapped a robotic design because it would have cost more than $200.

The students' plan noted SHWAP is portable and budget-friendly, but its designers noted it still needs improvements in battery life and durability, especially in the latter in dealing with water.

The plan also stated the designers weren't sure whether the alarm was loud enough so owners could hear it inside their residences. They stated they would like to develop technology that would send an alert to an owner's cellphone.

Team sponsors were San Jon secondary math teacher Raj Bandla and secondary science teacher Sharla Rusk, both whom assisted in the project. Deloitte presented the award to the San Jon team.

Forty-six teams from public, private and charter high schools participated in the contest, along with judges from 19 New Mexico STEM employers, plus educators, volunteers and government officials, according to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions.

Each team was comprised of up to 10 students who made a computer simulation or prototype answering a question posed by Los Alamos National Laboratory: "How can you use science and technology to make the world safer?"

STEM employers provided judges and cash awards capped at $5,000 per winning team. Each student on a winning team took home $500. All participating students will receive varsity letters from their associated schools, per guidelines of the New Mexico Activities Association.

Los Alamos National Laboratory provided coordination and support through its Community Partnerships Office, which emphasizes economic development, STEM education and volunteerism. The LANL Foundation coordinated STEM employer contributions and provided funds for travel and other resources to eligible public-school teams.

"New Mexico has absolutely unlimited potential," Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said about the inaugural awards. "And this competition is an incredible showcase of the ingenuity and passion of so many bright, talented New Mexicans. I'm thrilled and inspired by the work of these students and grateful for their effort."