Ridgewood Students Take 3rd In Thomas Edison Pitch Contest

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — For the second year in a row a team from the Ridgewood Applied Engineering Club made it to the finals of the Thomas Edison Pitch Contest.

This year, four students; Sanjna Rajagopalan, Sam Khoury, Anthony Alters and Gianna Sheehy formed the Aqua Conservation Services Team and captured third place with their invention called Hydro Save, an adapter for a faucet that conserves water usage, school district officials announced.

The Applied Engineering Club, led by RHS teachers Dr. Hsuan Lillian Labowsky and Mr. John Wohner, attracted 80 members, an increase of 30 students in just the second year of the program.

According to district officials, "the goal of the Applied Engineering Club is to engage students in project-based inquiry to examine real-world problems. Applying STEAM principles, teams identify an area of need and develop a viable solution."

The Aqua Conservation Services Team first identified the issue that they wanted to research - water wastage. After exploring various options and determining a specific issue to address – leaving the tap on for excessive amounts of time – they began their research, officials said.

"Many people are discouraged by making small changes in their lives to remedy the larger problem at hand because they are comfortable with their lifestyle. What makes our product, Hydrosave, better is that it does all the work for you," said Rajagopalan.

"In short, Hydrosave is a device that regulates water outflow from a faucet simply by attaching to it. With Hydrosave, you don’t need to pay hundreds of dollars to purchase an automatic faucet and install it. Making sustainability accessible to all is the motivation behind engineering Hydrosave."

The Thomas Edison Pitch Contest showcases and encourages invention, innovation and entrepreneurship among students. This year’s 205 teams of elementary, middle, and high school students represented 24 states and four countries.

An expert panel of judges consisting of education professionals, Edison experts and technical and business experts evaluated each team’s pitch.

"In this national competition, student teams demonstrate collaboration and communication through the invention process and must present their invention prototype in front of a panel of experts," said Wohner.

"Prototyping and communication were especially difficult during this pandemic, and the students in the club have demonstrated remarkable resilience, dedication and support of each other. We are so very proud of their achievement."

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