Four students from Scofield Magnet Middle Purple Team received Honorable Mention in this year’s Exploravision Competition for their future invention Visual Eyes. Astha Patni, Kristina Duarte, Emily Romero and Jonathan Sanchez developed a device that will help visually challenged people navigate using sonar and specially made glasses. They researched the development of assistive technology for the blind and designed web pages that portrayed their research and invention. As part of this project they interviewed a past Magnet Middle student, Melinda Owens, who is currently working on her doctorate in neuroscience at the University of California, San Francisco. Melinda was able to share some her research on the retina and the brain.

The Toshiba/NSTA Exploravision Competition received over 6,000 entries. Projects receiving Honorable Mention are in the top 20% of the entries submitted. Marie C. Wiggins, Director, Corporate Partnerships, National Science Teachers Association stated in the recognition letter “Your students are commended for a job well done in demonstrating innovative thinking in their exploration of science and its impact on technology and the future.”

Each of the students will receive a Certificate of Achievement and a gift. Their project was presented at the National Science Teachers Association Conference of Science Education in Boston this past March.

The list of the projects receiving honorable mention can be found on the Exploravision website, exploravision.org