February 2023 – Collinsville High School seniors Jenna Feldmann, Peyton Beeles and Brandon Nygard have been named Conrad Innovators in the 2023 international Conrad Challenge.
The challenge asks students to establish themselves as entrepreneurs who design an innovation to solve an important problem. Over the course of a year, the teammates go step-by-step through the entrepreneurial design process. In the third phase, they bring their innovation to life by writing an innovation brief and recording an innovation video. Only students who meet or exceed these requirements are named Conrad Innovators.
Feldmann, Beeles and Nygard created a project – “Let’s Heat It Up and Cool It Down” – that takes everyday orthotic braces and incorporates a heating and cooling element to allow patients to have comfort in the time of pain.
“This team is one of three CHS teams in the past eight years that have advanced in this international competition,” says CHS engineering and STEM club advisor Cindy Bednara, “Congratulations Jenna, Peyton and Brandon for earning the distinction of 2023 Conrad Innovator!”
The Conrad Foundation says: “These teams truly reflect our core value of innovation! This badge of excellence is bestowed upon these students by the Conrad Foundation as an honor that can be carried along in their educational careers, as a source of pride and ownership in achieving a new standard of entrepreneurship. Conrad Innovators also qualify to join our network of Conrad Challenge Alumni at the end of the challenge season!”
Conrad Innovators are eligible to compete for scholarship opportunities:
- $20,000 per year scholarship to Menlo College
- $15,000 per year merit-based scholarship to Lewis & Clark College
- $12,000 per year scholarship to Clarkson University
- $10,000 per year scholarship/partial abatement award to College of Charleston for a value of $40,000
- $2,500 per year grant to Florida Institute of Technology, on top of any merit based scholarships earned (range from $10,000 up to 50% of tuition), for a total of $10,000 over four years
2023 Conrad Challenge sponsors include: Space Center Houston, NASA, Dell Technologies, Battelle, Fidelity Investments, U.S. Navy, KC Social Impact Lab, Carter/Ledyard and Griffin Communications Group.
About the Conrad Foundation
The Conrad Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting collaborative, student-centered, real-world, relevant learning that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship. Through its programs, the Foundation unleashes students’ potential to create impactful solutions and a sustainable society for generations to come. For more information about the Conrad Foundation, its Challenge, or the 2022-2023 competition, visit www.conradchallenge.org.