Clark High School students, Jaiden Reddy, Deven Reddy, sons of Ravi & Tina Reddy, along with Shivam Saran, Rishi Saran and Tanush Saran, sons of Praveen and Namita Saran won the annual Conrad Challenge, an international competition for high school students with a challenge to come up with a real life solutions to issues impacting the communities worldwide.  The competitors have to apply actual science to solve a real life problem.

The 2018-2019 Conrad Challenge drew over 450 student teams from around the world. There were 35 finalists. Reddys’ and Sarans’ team “Vapemate” participated in the Smoke-Free World, USA category and won the world wide challenging competition.  The initial concept and design was conceived by Rishi Saran, who also developed the app and the tracking system for the device. Jaiden Reddy primarily worked with the patent attorney and handled the survey aspect of the device.  

VapeMate is a mobile application that can track, quantify, substantiate, and prevent vaping through an attachment that fits right onto an e-cigarette and a mobile application that records, processes, and displays data on e-cigarette use for the user.

For their efforts, the Sarans and Reddys won an all-expense paid trip to Catania, Italy to meet FSFW Grantee who is creating the Center of Excellence on Harm Reduction.  In addition, the team gets a  distinctive medallion and a Pete Conrad Scholar certificate from the Conrad Foundation; $15,000 per year scholarship to study disciplines in design, engineering and commerce (DEC) at Thomas Jefferson University; $15,000 per year scholarship to Clarkson University, for a total value of $60,000 over four years, along with other prizes.

The Conrad Challenge is an annual, multi-phase innovation and entrepreneurial competition that encourages young adults to leave their mark on the world. Each year, teams of 2-5 students, ages 13-18, from around the globe create products and/or services that address some of the most pressing global challenges. Students take direct control of their learning – it extends well beyond the bounds of the school day and becomes an all-encompassing, passionate mission.

The competition culminates in the Innovation Summit, a 4-day experience at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Finalist teams head to the space coast to meet and present their innovations before an esteemed panel of industry expert judges.

Established in 2008, the Conrad Foundation honors the legacy of Apollo 12 astronaut, Charles “Pete” Conrad, and his four decades of passion for innovation and entrepreneurship. An annual competition challenges teams to use science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) innovation, as well as entrepreneurship to create a more sustainable world for this and future generations.