Michigan Students Compete for $77K in Innovation Scholarships

Students across Michigan are about to show that the next generation of innovators is already here, with solutions to problems many adults haven't solved yet.

Twenty high school teams will present their inventions April 25 at Saginaw Valley State University, competing for up to $77,500 in college scholarships and STEM education grants. The A.H. Nickless Innovation Award competition brings together students from five schools across Bay, Midland, Saginaw, and Tuscola counties who have spent months developing real solutions to real problems.

The innovations these teens created are impressive. Some teams designed biodegradable medical equipment that could reduce hospital waste. Others built devices to detect PFAS chemicals in water wells, tackling a major health concern affecting communities across the state.

Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy is leading the charge with 13 teams, followed by Freeland High School with three teams. Herbert Henry Dow High School, John Glenn High School, and Midland High School are also sending their brightest minds to compete.

The stakes are meaningful. First place winners take home five $5,000 scholarships for team members plus a $20,000 STEM education grant for their school. Second and third place teams earn smaller but still significant scholarships and grants, ensuring multiple schools benefit from their students' hard work.

Each team already received $1,000 just to advance from the initial phase last fall, giving them resources to conduct research and develop their prototypes. The event is free and open to the public, running from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m. in Gilbertson Hall.

The Ripple Effect

This competition has been changing lives for over a decade. Since the first competition in 2013, more than 550 students have participated, and organizers have awarded $763,500 in scholarships and STEM education grants. That's hundreds of young minds inspired to pursue science and engineering careers, and dozens of schools receiving funds to improve their programs.

The Nickless Family Charitable Foundation created the award to honor Arthur H. Nickless, a local innovator who owned Wolverine Telephone Company. His legacy now lives on through teenagers solving problems he might never have imagined, from environmental contamination to medical waste.

Registration for next year's competition opens August 17, meaning another wave of student innovators will soon get their chance to make a difference.

These students prove that you don't need a PhD to change the world, just curiosity, determination, and support from people who believe in you.