Food Allergy Invention by Elementary School Students

By Ashlie Chandler - This image is from the FEMA Photo Library., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8064675

As I drank my morning coffee this morning and perused the Google alerts, a headline about an elementary school and a food allergy invention caught my eye. Enterprising and ambitious young people are just such a source of inspiration! Here's a link to the article and video I saw.

I read a few articles about this elementary school team and had to share this story with you! They deserve so much credit. A team of students at Nathanial Greene Elementary School in Virginia has invented an "Aller Watch" which will determine if a food contains dangerous allergens for a diner. It is intended to look like a normal watch and not have an unseemly or unusual appearance to bring unwanted attention to the wearer. It sounds like a very helpful tool to make dining out easier and less stressful for those with food allergies. The Greene Elementary School team is one of 24 teams from around the country that placed in Toshiba's"Exploravision Challenge", and is apparently competing further in a spring competition.

Below is the press release from the school district, for your reading pleasure. What amazing kids! Credit also must be given to the team's advisors at school. As a teacher, I am sure they have spent a good deal of time after school working with the students. Congratulations to the team at Nathaniel Greene Elementary School!

"GES Team Wins the Region in the “Exploravision Challenge”

NGES student team places in the top 24 in the nation for Toshiba’s “Exploravision Challenge”

Stanardsville, VA, March 8, 2017

              Toshiba and the National Science Teachers Association recently announced that a team of students and faculty from Nathanael Greene Elementary School have been named the Region 2 winners for the “Exploravision Challenge.”  Team members include Kaidance Jenkins, Ethan Morris, Ms. Hogsten, Ms. Philleo and Mr. Hickey.  The purpose of the challenge is to inspire science and innovation in the nation’s schools through project based learning experiences.  Nathanael Greene finished in the top 24 teams in the nation and will be competing for a spot in the final national competition to be held later this spring.

            The team’s project entitled, “The Aller Watch” has the following description:

“We recognized that people are spending a lot of money on medicines, doctor visits, and technology to help with food allergies. We also noticed that people don’t always know if they are allergic to a certain type of food. There are about fifteen million Americans suffering with food allergies today. This affects one out of thirteen children and costs about $25 billion a year. We are going to create the Aller Watch which is not just easily accessible but also very helpful to the problems we see. You can wear it on your wrist and it can test any food and will warn you if you’re allergic to it. The Aller Watch will make a warning sound if the test comes back positive. It will also provide the time, date, and games. This will allow people to wear it for more purposes and it won’t look like a medical device.”

            For winning the regional competition, team members will be awarded a Toshiba PC, science related gifts, plaques, banners, and much more. They will now compete for a spot in the national competition as finalists for a trip to Washington D.C.  The Greene County school system is incredibly proud of the hard work and focus on innovation from both students and staff at NGES."