Sunnyvale student wins top prize for scientific creation

  • 2014-05-28
A navigtion aid for the visually impaired, created by a student, has been awarded the highest honors at a local fair.

Shiloh S. Curtis is home-schooled as a junior in the Laughing Thunder Academy, and had Youssef Ismail of the Schmahl Science Workshop as her advisor. The Workshop is located in San Jose.

The California State Science Fair has been held annually since 1952. It is considered the science fair culmination of the year for grades 6 through 12, and students go on to the state event after winning their regional competitions.

This year’s event was held in the California Science Center at Exposition Park, and saw more than 1,000 students participate in exhibiting their research and explaining their projects to the 300 professional engineers and scientists who volunteer as judges. Students at shows like this often support their projects with poster or banner printing, as they are competing for top honors and more than $50,000 in prize money.

Curtis’ winning project was a hands-free navigation system that worked via a hit. Dozens of students from San Mateo and Santa Clara counties won special awards and recognition, with many placed in category awards at the fair. For a full list of science fair winners, visit the California Science Center’s website.