Nine student teams to present projects April 26 at SVSU during 12th annual A.H. Nickless Innovation Award competition event
Students representing five schools from four districts in Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties competing for a share of up to $77,500 in student scholarships and school STEM education grants
University Center, MICH., April 15, 2025 – Following months of planning, research and development, the nine teams participating in the 2024-25 A.H. Nickless Innovation Award competition soon will take the stage at Saginaw Valley State University to present their projects. At stake is a share of up to $77,500 in college scholarships for students and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education grants for schools.
The competition will take place from 8:45 a.m. to approximately 2:30 p.m. April 26 – with teams’ project presentations scheduled from 9 to 11:40 a.m. – in Alan W. Ott Auditorium in SVSU’s Gilbertson Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.
Presented by the Nickless Family Charitable Foundation, the A.H. Nickless Innovation Award is an annual competition for high school students ages 13 to 18 in Bay, Midland, Saginaw and Tuscola counties. Its goal is to inspire passion for STEM subjects and challenge students to work in teams to think innovatively and develop solutions to problems impacting the world. Topics typically include – but are not limited to – issues related to alternative energy, healthcare, science, technology or life sciences.
During Phase One of the competition in September and October, each team identified a problem and submitted a two-page abstract proposing a project to address it. Each team that advanced to Phase Two received a $1,000 grant with which to conduct its research and develop a viable solution. Teams submitted their Phase Two project reports in late March and now will deliver 10-minute presentations on their projects before a panel of judges.
The five high schools with teams presenting projects on April 26 – and the teams’ projects – are:
Herbert Henry Dow High School in Midland (Midland Public Schools), one team
Sensors to identify live organisms (i.e., rodents) within the walls of buildings/homes
Freeland High School (Freeland Community School District), one team
A device that moves cars out of the way of emergency responder vehicles
John Glenn High School in Bay City (Bangor Township Schools), one team
An innovative water-insulated roofing system with solar panels to supply energy to houses to reduce climate change
Midland High School (Midland Public Schools), one team
An app that uses technology and visual techniques to help users handle physical money
Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy (Saginaw Public School District), five teams
A blood oxygen sensing device for pilots that automatically deploys lifesaving oxygen masks during hypoxia, enhancing aviation safety
Alternative methods for heartworm treatment and prevention to address how heartworms are an issue in pets and how they affect economics and the health of the animal
An app with a 3D camera module to assist people who are blind with navigation and literacy through machine learning models and algorithms
An efficient system to monitor sets, reps and time allotted during rest, benefiting both physical therapists and patients
Mobility aids that address the disruption of students' education and social development caused by existing options
At the conclusion of the April 26 event, up to $42,500 in scholarships will be awarded to students on the winning teams, and a total of $35,000 in STEM education grants will be awarded to the winning teams’ schools:
First place
will receive up to five $5,000 scholarships for student team members and a $20,000 grant for the school.
Second place
will receive up to five $2,500 scholarships for student team members and a $10,000 grant for the school.
Third place
will receive up to five $1,000 scholarships for student team members and a $5,000 grant for the school.
Fostering student innovation for more than a decade
The 2024-25 competition marks the 12th year of the A.H. Nickless Innovation Award. Since the first competition in 2013-14, $701,000 has been awarded to participants and their schools, including $351,000 in student scholarships and $350,000 in STEM education grants. In all, more than 500 students developed and presented a total of more than 170 team projects in Phase Two of the competition during the competition’s first 11 years.
Phase One registration and abstract submission for the 13th annual competition, which will span the 2025-26 academic year, begins Sept. 3 on the Register page at ahninnovationaward.com.