3M and Discovery Education recently announced 31 State Merit Winners in the 2022 3M Young Scientist Challenge. As the nation’s premier middle school science competition for 15 years, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge features outstanding innovations from young scientists that utilize the power of STEM to improve the world.

For Colorado, you may remember him as the runner up for the Scripps Spelling Bee competition. Vikram Raju an 8th grader at Aurora Quest K-8 in Aurora Public School is the merit winner for Colorado.

The3M Young Scientist Challenge asks students in grades 5-8 to identify an everyday problem in their classroom, community, or the world and submit a one- to two-minute video communicating the science behind their solution. An esteemed and diverse group of judges, including 3M scientists and leaders in education from across the country, evaluated entries based on creativity, scientific knowledge, and communication effectiveness.

Vikram’s project is Energenius CEGO (Clean Energy on the Go) which is a configurable module that can be added to an electric vehicle to power its batteries using clean, renewable energy, such as solar and wind power in any place, even when it is on the road.

The 3M Young Scientist Challenge recognizes this year’s 31 State Merit Winners, selected for their passion for STEM, innovation, and superb communication skills. Each State Merit Winner receives special recognition on the challenge website and a one-of-a-kind technology prize pack.