Aadi Mishra wins Rep. Blake D. Moore’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Utah’s First District

When asked what inspired the creation of Science Fair Assistant, the student said, “I developed Science Fair Assistant because I struggled while working on a science fair project at my school. My elementary school lacked a dedicated science teacher to guide students through these projects. Despite the lack of support, I was determined to participate, but it was challenging. I didn’t know even basic things, like what materials were needed for a project on how temperature affects magnetism. I did my best, but during the presentation, I saw how well other students had put together their projects. Most importantly, I realized how much more enjoyable their experience had been compared to the frustrations I faced.
 
My friends in other schools, which had dedicated science fair support, received guidance from teachers throughout the process‚ from idea generation to presentation. They worked on exciting projects and could easily seek help from their science teachers, who had years of experience. I felt that this was an invaluable resource my friends had, but I did not. Nevertheless, I persisted and continued to work on science projects each year since third grade.

For the last two years, as a member of the Student Advisory Board (SAB) at the University of Utah‚Äôs Science and Engineering Fair (USEF), I have had the opportunity to help elementary school students with their science fair projects. I realized how crucial it is to have someone to serve as a sounding board for your ideas and help learn the process. Students need guidance at every stage of their projects, and without support, they can easily lose interest and become discouraged. I wanted to ensure other students didn’t face the same challenges I did and could pursue their science projects with confidence and support. I want them to enjoy the process of working on science projects! This is why I designed the Science Fair Assistant app, made possible through the latest advancements in Large Language Models, to provide accessible, effective guidance to students so that they are able to work on their science projects.”