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The annual competition provides young innovators and entrepreneurs a platform to share their commercially-viable, technology-based solutions to global and local challenges. This year 191 student teams, ages 13-18, created new products and services focused on the following five categories: Aerospace & Aviation, Cyber-Technology & Security, Energy & Environment, Health & Nutrition and Smoke-Free World. Twenty-six finalist teams attended the 2018 Summit to present their products to a live panel of judges with expertise in business, industry, research and academia.
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The following teams were recognized as Pete Conrad Scholars, the competition’s top award in honor of Apollo 12 astronaut, Charles “Pete” Conrad, and his three-decade pursuit of innovation and entrepreneurship:

• Aerospace & Aviation: LEAF Systems, North Carolina School of Mathematics, Durham, North Carolina
• Cyber-Technology & Security, sponsored by Nokia Bell Labs: Speechability, St. Aidan’s Anglican Girls School, Brisbane, Australia
• Energy & Environment: Gryffindor, Seven Bridges Middle School and Ardsley High School, New York
• Health & Nutrition: Genolytics, Watchung Hills Regional High School, Warren, New Jersey

As the lead sponsor of the challenge for the second year in a row, America’s Navy continued its commitment to STEM education and innovation. Navy experts served as competition judges in each of the five categories, sharing their experience and knowledge through insightful questioning and feedback. Students had the unique opportunity to hear about two Sailor’s surprising career paths from Navy nuclear engineer, Lieutenant Hamilton Gubanc, and Navy Director of Tropical Diseases, Lieutenant Commander Nehkondi Adams, MD. Captain Matt Boren, the Chief Marketing Officer at Navy Recruiting Command, presented the America’s Navy Gemini Award for Distinguished Innovation in the Spirit of Captain Pete Conrad.

The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World sponsored a special category this year inviting students to design 21st century solutions to re-purpose global farmland that is currently used for tobacco production, especially in African countries. The winning team was Aqualirio Labs from Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, California who created a line of topical skincare products created from tobacco-derived squalene. The Foundation awarded the student team with an all-expense paid trip to the World Food Prize event in Des Moines, Iowa, which occurs every October as part of the Borlaug conversations.

The Foundation also presented “Power Pitch” awards in each category to the team(s) who presented the best pitch on-stage in front of the live judges, their peers and industry professionals. The following teams were recognized for their presentation skills: 

• Aerospace & Aviation: Downey Space Innovators, Downey High School, Downey, California
• Cyber-Technology & Security: Vurse, Christopher Columbus High School, Miami, Florida
• Energy & Environment: Super Silk, Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School, Plainview, New York
• Health & Nutrition: Los Altos Academy of Engineering, Hacienda Heights, California
• Smoke-Free World: Team Neon, Whitesands School, Lagos, Nigeria

• America’s Navy Gemini Award for Innovation in the Spirit of Captain Pete Conrad was awarded to LEAF Systems (North Carolina), the team that best demonstrated the Navy characteristics of teamwork, innovation, and hard work. The award recognizes their exceptional ingenuity, collaboration, and commitment to solving an important and complex challenge.
• The NASA Goddard Technology Award recognized LEAF Systems (North Carolina) and Pectora (India) as the teams who best incorporated existing NASA technologies made available to the Finalists.
• SMART Technologies awarded CrossCheck (Virgina), Gryffindor (New York), and Speechability (Australia) with all-inclusive trips to Calgary, Canada to join an education challenge.
• Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s Good Citizen Award was presented to Team Neon (Nigeria) for exemplifying team spirit, support and respect to all fellow students and event participants.
• Chairman’s Innovative Teacher Award was awarded to Tim Anglin from the North Carolina School of Mathematics in Durham, North Carolina. Anglin was presented this honor for being an example of passion and dedication to students. This year, he coached three finalist teams: two teams in Aerospace and Aviation and one team in Health and Nutrition. Anglin was also awarded the Apollo Science Teacher Award by Tranquility Lodge no. 2000 which sponsored his travel to the 2018 Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge Summit.

For more information on the winners, visit www.ConradChallenge.org.

About The Conrad Foundation
The Conrad Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to immersive learning and the opportunity for students to use the lessons they learn in the classroom to create commercially viable products in sustainability. The Foundation is the only organization of its kind whose programs combine science and technology-based education, innovation and entrepreneurship to inspire solutions for achieving global sustainability. For more information, visit www.ConradChallenge.org.

Media Contact:
Angelica DeLuccia
Griffin Communications Group
for The Conrad Foundation
321-506-2183

About Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex brings to life the epic story of the U.S. space program, offering a full day or more of fun, inspiration and educational activities, including the new Astronaut Training Experience®, which opened in February 2018, as well as Heroes & Legends, featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame®, presented by Boeing, the Kennedy Space Center Tour featuring the Apollo/Saturn V Center with an actual Saturn V moon rocket, Space Shuttle Atlantis®, Shuttle Launch Experience®, IMAX® A Beautiful Planet 3D and Journey To Space 3D films, Astronaut Encounter, Journey To Mars: Explorers Wanted, Science on a Sphere®, Rocket Garden, and Cosmic Quest. Only 45 minutes from Orlando, Fla., Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex opens daily at 9 a.m. with closing times varying by season. Admission is $50 + tax for adults and $40 + tax for children ages 3 – 11. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers annual passes starting at $75 + tax for adults and $60 + tax for children ages 3 – 11. For more information, call 877-313-2610 or visit www.KennedySpaceCenter.com.

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About Delaware North
Delaware North is one of the largest privately held hospitality and food service companies in the world. Founded in 1915 and owned by the Jacobs family for more than 100 years, Delaware North has global operations at high-profile places such as sports and entertainment venues, national and state parks, destination resorts and restaurants, airports, and regional casinos. Our 55,000 employee associates are dedicated to creating special experiences one guest at a time in serving more than a half-billion guests annually. Delaware North operates in the sports, travel hospitality, restaurant and catering, parks, resorts, gaming, and specialty retail industries and has annual revenue of about $3 billion. Learn more about Delaware North, a global leader in hospitality and food service, at www.DelawareNorth.com.

Connect with Delaware North on Facebook / LinkedIn / Twitter

Media Contacts:
Lauren Eisele Walbert
Sandy Hillman Communications
Office: 410-616-8943
Mobile: 443-683-0294

Rebecca Shireman
Manager of Communications & Public Relations
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
321-449-4273 or 321-213-5926
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