Way to Go! Manhasset junior a winner in Our Future Is Science

A Manhasset Secondary School student has been named a winner in a contest that challenged participants to create a video sharing how science can be used as a tool to solve a problem in their community.   

Manav Gupta, a junior, was recently selected as one of the top five winners nationwide in the Our Future Is Science Contest, which was sponsored by the Aspen Institute and Coda Societies. The contest was designed to connect social justice with the fields of science, technology, engineering, art and math — also known as STEAM.

Gupta's 90-second video submission spotlighted the excess nitrogen found in the Manhasset Bay. Excess nitrogen allows algae to grow within ecosystems and destroys biodiversity, he said.

"We can extract this nitrogen from the bay and purify it into something that is reusable," Gupta said.

The contest was part of a yearlong program in which high schoolers were paired with STEAM graduate students for the purpose of mentorship, career exploration and scientific learning. Videos were judged by a panel of scientists and practitioners on criteria including creativity, innovation and originality.

As one of the top five winners, Gupta was awarded a $500 prize and his video will be featured this spring on the contest's website.

"We see a pressing need to equip youth with the tools required to solve tomorrow's problems," Coda Societies CEO Garance Choko said. "Our Future is Science is designed exactly for that."

— MICHAEL R. EBERT

By Michael R. Ebert

michael.ebert@newsday.com

Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.