A team of student scientists from Bloomington High School South won $125,000 for their invention in a national STEM competition. Storm Shield is a hearing-aid accessory designed for hard-of-hearing athletes.
The South team was one of just four teams to win the national prize at the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, a STEM innovation competition for middle and high school students across the U.S. The team also scored an additional $25,000 for a “Rising Entrepreneurship” award.
What was South’s prize-winning invention?
South scored the national prize for “Storm Shield,” a headband for hard-of-hearing athletes that protects hearing aids against rain, sweat and movement while also providing near-instantaneous vibrations to warn against emerging objects.
Hearing aids can fall out or be damaged during athletic activities, causing many hard-of-hearing athletes to forgo hearing aids when out on the field. Storm Shield, designed by a team of seven students at South, secures hearing aids through a waterproof headband and offers additional situational awareness through a vibrating sensor.
South was one of 10 teams selected to compete in Washington, D.C. This is the first time a South team has won nationals. They were finalists in the national competition in 2023.
What did the South team win for their invention?
The South team took home $125,000 for the school; $100,000 for winning nationals and an additional $25,000 for the “Rising Entrepreneurship” award.
The team already had won $50,000 for being chosen as national finalists.
What’s next for the South team?
The South team previously said it is open to pursuing a patent and further commercial development for Storm Shield.
The invention received high praise during its testing phase, including an endorsement from four-time Olympic gold medalist and former Indiana Fever player Tamika Catchings.
“Nobody’s done it yet,” Catchings said in the team’s pitch video. “And now that you have it, it’s kind of weird that nobody has.”
Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com. Follow him on Twitter/X at @brianwritesnews.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington South team wins national STEM competition for athletic hearing aid accessory
Reporting by Brian Rosenzweig, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
