Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Prairie Grove Fourth-Graders Submit Bracelet Idea To Save Lives
GIRLS’ PROJECT NAMED IN THE TOP 100 IN PARADIGM CHALLENGE
To vote for Aubrey and Reese’s Paradigm Challenge project, go to www.tinyurl.com/savioralert. The 10 teams that receive the most votes will receive cash prizes.
PRAIRIE GROVE — Two fourth-graders from Prairie Grove Elementary School are semi-finalists in a national competition that seeks new ideas to prevent injuries and deaths in house fires.
Aubrey Ault and Reese Light were named in the top 100 entries out of 50,000 students in the Paradigm Challenge, one of the largest youth innovation competitions in the world, according to a news release on the contest. Less than 5 percent of participants were selected as semi-finalists.
Their teacher, Vicki Barker, heard about the contest through a Facebook post. She read about the competition and then offered the information to her students.
“The girls jumped right on it,” Barker said. “I was really proud of them.”
Aubrey said she and Reese knew they wanted to submit an idea for the contest and brainstormed with each other on the playground one day.
Reese has unilateral hearing and can only hear out of her left ear. This gave her the idea to help someone who is hearing or vision impaired.
Aubrey then came up with the idea of a bracelet that vibrates, flashes and beeps to warn the user of smoke and fire based on a signal from a smoke alarm. In turn, the person wearing the bracelet would push a button on the bracelet that automatically calls 911.
The girls named their product, the Savior Alert.
Barker said she was impressed with the girls’ project.
“With all the technology in the world, this is so practical and useful and they are the ones who thought about it,” Barker said.
Aubrey said she envisions the bracelet looking like a FitBit, a design that anyone would want to wear.
Reese said she likes the idea because “it can save lives and it’s something a lot of people wear everyday.” If someone was asleep, the bracelet would wake them up through sound and vibration, she said. A person who is hearing impaired would see the flashing lights and feel the vibrations. A person who is vision impaired could hear the beeps and feel the vibrations, she added.
Aubrey noted, “It ’s fashionable, not this big bulky thing on your arm. I like it because it’s new and creative.”
The competition will announce a first place winner for each age division later this month and those teams will receive an all-expense paid trip to Los Angeles, Calif., to attend the Paradigm Challenge Prize Ceremony on July 23. One of the first place teams will be selected grand prize winner and receive up to $100,000. Aubrey and Reese, who are both 10 years old, are competing in the 7-10-yearold age division.
In addition to this ceremony, the girls’ project also is part of a public voting period, which ends Aug. 30. The 10 finalist teams that receive the most votes will win “Public Choice Award” cash prizes.
To vote for Aubrey and Reese, go to www.tinyurl.com/savioralert.
The contest rules also state the Challenge may help turn the winning ideas into reality through additional support.
This is the first year for the Paradigm Challenge and a new theme will be announced July 23 for those who want to submit ideas for the 2017 competition.