How Young Innovators Are Using Project Management to Power STEM Breakthroughs

Her project, Smart Carbon Recycling, integrates AI, biotechnology, and chemistry to improve soil health and carbon sequestration. She designed a kelp-based fertilizer, created a machine learning model called “Earth AI” to match crops to local soil and climate conditions, and researched Biochar—a carbon-rich byproduct of recycled waste—for enhanced soil performance.

The two-time National STEM Champion divided her project into three phases, with project management being a key component of her success. “I broke my project into weekly goals, and I regularly checked in on my progress,” says Anisha. “I also made Google Docs to log daily progress and ideas.”

The first phase was developing and testing the kelp-based fertilizer. The second was building and training the machine learning model. And the third was researching and testing the biochar integration into her project. Each phase had subtasks consisting of literature review, coding, testing, and data analysis.

“I've learned planning is just as important as creativity,” Anisha says. “Ideas can be exciting, but actually turning them into action requires setting milestones, constantly learning, and being okay with failure along the way.”

The final model demonstrated exceptional precision in predicting optimal crop-soil matches. “I developed a crop recommendation machine learning model that recommends the best crop to grow based on soil and environmental conditions,” she says, “and it has over 99% accuracy.”

As part of her project, she also collaborated with a scientist from the University of British Columbia as part of the Talaria research institute program, which pairs students with college professors and researchers working in similar research fields. Anisha tackled the urgent issue of plastic waste pollution by exploring an innovative process called Microwave Catalytic Pyrolysis—a high-yield technique that converts plastic waste and biosolids from sewage plants into useful byproducts like Biofuel and Biochar.

Through the research collaboration, Anisha discovered that not only is Biofuel produced from plastic waste 75% cleaner than traditional fossil fuels, but more importantly, another byproduct called Biochar, produced with high process yields, is rich in carbon, enhances soil health, and supports carbon sequestration. This collaboration became a pivotal advancement in her project’s goal of improving soil fertility and addressing climate challenges.

“It's about teamwork,” she says. “This project has taught me that project management isn't just about deadlines. It's about having a vision, then setting clear goals, and being flexible enough to evolve if needed,” she says.

What drives her? A strong sense of responsibility to communities like her families in India, who are already facing soil degradation and food insecurity. “I'm working on scaling to places where farmers can actually use this,” she says. “If we don’t do anything about it, it’s going to affect all of us.”

Innovating with impact: Anirudh’s multi-faceted vision

At just 13, Anirudh Rao is already a two-time National STEM Champion. From Colorado, USA, his projects range from a hydrovoltaic wound care technology to a tornado-warning system using AI and autonomous drones.

On the wound management front, he seeks to solve problems for those in the most dire situations. “My solution is a novel approach to wound management using hydrovoltaic technology,” explains Anirudh. “Especially in war zones, people are more prone to infections. I wanted to find a way where we can prevent wastage of bandages as well as stop these infections from happening.”

Anirudh’s wound care invention is an approach to improving how wounds are monitored and managed, especially in resource-limited or crisis settings. His solution uses hydrovoltaic technology—a process where moisture penetrating a nanomaterial surface causes a separation of charges, generating volts of electricity. This voltage triggers a visual color change on a bandage, shifting from yellow to blue, providing a clear, instant indication of moisture levels and potential infection.

Inspired by both the high rate of bandage waste and the challenges faced in war zones like Gaza and Ukraine, Anirudh designed his system to improve wound visibility and reduce material waste. He was also personally motivated by a family member with diabetes.

Looking ahead, Anirudh hopes to integrate AI and predictive analytics into the system, creating algorithms that can adapt care based on different wound and moisture profiles.

On the environmental side, his tornado system is equally cutting-edge. Anirudh has a personal connection to this project, as his friend’s home was destroyed in a tornado in Tennessee, USA.

Anirudh’s early tornado warning system relies on detecting infrasound—low-frequency sound waves that tornadoes emit in their early stages—paired with a network of autonomous drones equipped with sensors to monitor temperature, pressure, and humidity. These drones gather real-time environmental data and transmit it back to a central base station, where the system analyzes the information to determine if a tornado is forming. “I can increase the tornado warning time from 13 minutes to 40 minutes,” explains Anirudh.

While Anirudh is self-taught in many of the technical skills, project management was a new frontier for him. “Before this, I was not a good planner,” he says. “But I learned planning, patience, and resilience.” He now uses a combination of spreadsheets, handwritten planners, and self-set timelines to organize his goals.

“Part of turning a project into an action is having a good timeline,” he explains. “Adapting is also very important. There will be times when you fail, and you'll always have setbacks. You have to adapt to the situation you have.”

Designing with empathy: Liam draws inspiration from home

Liam Chattergy’s project began with a powerful moment of witnessing environmental harm in his home state of Hawaii. “I saw locals picking sea turtles up while they were swimming,” he explains.

Having lived in Hawaii his whole life, Liam recalls growing up listening to stories from Native Hawaiian culture. “I learned the Hawaiian idea of taking care of the land, so the land takes care of you,” he recalls. A sailor, he’s very connected to the ocean and values the ecosystem. “I have to do something to protect it,” he says.

He thought, if locals are doing this, what are tourists doing? “This made me want to create a video game to share environmental information so people could better understand what situations might happen in Hawaii.”

The result was “Natura Defender,” an educational video game built with Thunkable, aimed at tourists and locals alike to teach respectful environmental behavior. The game seeks to influence behavioral change, combining technology with human psychology to nudge more positive interactions with the environment.