Thirty middle school students nationwide were selected as finalists in the 2025 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge — including Sam Daniel Solhpour, an eighth-grader at Corona del Mar Middle School.
The Junior Innovators Challenge, organized by Society for Science, is billed as the nation’s top STEM competition for middle schoolers. More than 2,000 students were eligible to enter this year after placing in the top 10 percent of their local affiliated science fairs. From there, the top 300 Junior Innovators were selected, including eight students from Orange County schools.
Thirty were ultimately named finalists for utilizing scientific research to turn their ideas and questions about complex challenges into actionable solutions.
Through his project, “Forecasting Renewable Energy Production Based on Historical Weather Data in California,” Sam sought to predict renewable energy production after experiencing the effects of potential grid outages tied to solar energy shortages last summer.
Sam gathered two years of solar and wind energy data in order to create a linear regression model aligning daily weather factors with renewable energy output. His model explained 97 percent of the variation in solar energy output and 89 percent in wind energy production.
“I love using data and code to solve real-world problems,” Sam said. “I want to use these skills to build smarter systems that help people, protect the environment, and make the world more efficient and sustainable.”
Each finalist will receive a $500 cash award and travel to Washington, D.C. in October to present their projects and take part in team STEM challenges. They will compete for the $25,000 Ascend Award, among other top prizes.
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- This weekend, Brea Olinda High School student Kennedy Swann will become the first person to present a TEDx talk using a speech-generating device operated by her eyes. She’ll be accompanied by her mother, Jennifer Swann.
- A documentary about housing segregation made by two Acaciawood Preparatory Academy students won a national award at the 2025 Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Discovery Award competition.
- Student board members from Orange County school districts gathered for a first-of-its-kind summit hosted by the Fullerton Joint Union High School District. Goals included building a network of student leaders and learning from one another.
- At a partners appreciation luncheon, Orange County school districts and health agencies gathered to reflect on their collective efforts to expand mental health services for students through the Student Behavioral Health Incentive Program.
- More than 30 students took part in the county’s first free Fender Play songwriting workshop in Irvine. The daylong event also kicked off a new contest challenging high schoolers to create original songs for America’s 250th anniversary.
- Local students ages 5 to 17 are invited to attend Science Nite Oct. 3 at Golden West College, where students will be able to make slime, look at cells through a microscope and meet live animals through interactive exhibits at the event.
- Earlier this month, Laguna Beach High School seniors Estella Newton and Zoe Tran were selected as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists — joining 230 other Orange County seniors who demonstrated academic excellence along with involvement in their schools and communities.
- Ocean View High School students can now learn about native animals and plants in the wetlands ecosystem on campus with help from a brand-new informational placard designed and funded by recent graduate Aubrie Sokoloff.
- UC Irvine and Santiago Canyon College have partnered to launch a new 2+2+1 degree pathway, designed to fast-track accounting students from an associate degree at SCC to a bachelor’s and ultimately a master’s in accountancy at UCI.
- Two new California laws will require immigration enforcement officers to present a warrant or court order signed by a judge prior to entering a school campus or questioning students, according to EdSource.
- Huntington Beach students involved in the National Charity League’s Pacific Coast Chapter were awarded Congressional Certificates of Recognition for their extensive volunteer work after funding was cut toward the AmeriCorps program.
- Spectrum News recently featured Esperanza High School student Tayloran Sicard, who is thriving on and off the field as co-captain of the softball team while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
- The Rainbow Sandals Foundation recently donated $5,000 to help San Clemente High School students attend a field trip to Catalina Island amid rising attendance costs.
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