Georgia Students Create Down Syndrome Onesie, Win Expo

When Samantha Wisely watched her four-year-old brother Rip struggle with sleeves that kept falling down, she didn't just roll them up again. She invented a better solution.

The Evans Middle School student designed the "3-2-Onesie," a specially tailored garment for infants with Down syndrome whose bodies don't quite fit standard baby clothes. Her invention just won the grand prize at Coweta County's tenth annual Innovation Expo.

The competition challenged more than 60 middle school teams across Georgia to identify real problems and design products to solve them. Students researched, designed prototypes, and pitched their ideas like entrepreneurs on Shark Tank.

Samantha's pitch stood out to judges including the CEO of the county's development authority and a board of education member. Her personal connection to the problem and practical solution earned her the top spot among five finalists.

Runner-up Emma Wyant, also from Evans Middle, created the "Picky Bowl" with a built-in strainer and detachable sauce compartment. Like Samantha, she saw a problem at home and engineered an answer.

Other finalists included students from across the county's eight middle schools, each paired with teacher mentors who guided them through the design process. Products ranged from accessibility clothing to eco-friendly planters to budget tracking apps.

"It's an opportunity for students to speak out about the problems in their life that they feel like are worth solving," said Dr. Donald White, science content specialist for Coweta County Schools. The competition gives young people a platform they wouldn't normally have.

Andrew Nase, a science teacher at Evans Middle who mentored both Samantha and Emma, said watching students bring their visions to life never gets old. Getting kids excited about creating something from scratch and seeing it succeed is powerful, he explained.

The Ripple Effect

Nine additional teams earned spots at Georgia Tech's statewide K-12 InVenture Prize Competition in March, including inventions like residential wind turbines and hydration tracking devices. These middle schoolers are already thinking beyond their classrooms about how to improve lives.

One finalist will also receive the People's Choice Award at April's STEM Symposium, with voting open online now. The competition has been showcasing student innovation for a decade, proving that some of the best problem solvers are still learning algebra.

Samantha's brother Rip has been her biggest inspiration, and now he might finally get clothes that actually fit.