SAN DIEGO– Sharvi Mahajan, a 9th grader from Westview High School in Poway Unified School District, recently placed third in the 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge, the nation's premier middle school science competition.
During the competition, each 3M Young Scientist Challenge finalist is paired with a 3M scientist who mentors and works with them one-on-one over the summer to transform their ideas from concept to prototype.
The second and third place winners from the 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge receive special recognition, including $2,000 in prize money.
Sharvi's project was creating the “NeuroDrive Alert,” an electroencephalography (EEG)-based machine learning alert system designed to predict driver drowsiness before it becomes dangerous. A wearable baseball cap captures live brain activity, while machine learning analyzes brain signals to identify rising fatigue risk and trigger immediate alerts through a smartphone app, with the goal of preventing drowsiness-related driving accidents.
“There’s a lot you can do when you take an idea seriously and give it a chance,” said Sharvi.
As part of her winning experience, Sharvi also had the honor of attending the New York Stock Exchange bell-ringing ceremony and struck the ceremonial gavel with the other two winners.
Now in its 19th year, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge continues to inspire and challenge middle school students to think creatively and apply the power of STEM to develop real-world solutions. Former America's Top Young Scientists have given TED Talks, filed patents, founded nonprofits, and made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. In addition, a 3M Young Scientist Challenge Alumni Network was formed in fall 2022 and includes more than 100 former challenge winners, finalists, and mentors, who take part in networking opportunities and more.
The award-winning competition supplements the 3M and Discovery Education program Young Scientist Lab, which provides no-cost dynamic digital resources for students, teachers, and families to explore, transform, and innovate the world around them. All the resources are also available on Discovery Education Experience, the essential companion for engaged PreK-12 classrooms.