The Superintendent and Board of Trustees recognized Westmont High School student Aarushi Wadhwa and the Aqua-Pods Team for winning two Ashoka Changemaker Challenges, the first was the "Our Planet, Our Purpose: STEM for Changemaking Challenge" and the second the “T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge.” As winners of the first, they obtained $1,000 in seed funding for their solution and participated in the Changemaker Summit that will pair them up with mentorship with General Motors executives and skills training from Ashoka. Additionally, for winning the T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge Environment Category, their team won $5,000 in seed funding along with an opportunity to compete for the top $15,000 prize.
Aarushi and her team came up with Aqua-Pods, a solution to reduce water waste. Aqua-Pods is a biodegradable sponge that soaks up excess water and holds it to prevent it from evaporating when plants are watered - saving 3x the water.
Aarushi’s accomplishments are all her own - a result of her taking full advantage of program offerings at the district. Aarushi has participated in Project Lead the Way and Robotics at Westmont High School.
To learn more about Aqua-Pods and the Changemaking Challenge, click here.