Tohatchi High Wins the NM Governor’s Stem Challenge

The Power of Persistence: Tohatchi High's Third Governor's STEM Challenge Victory

Tohatchi High School recently won the New Mexico Governor's STEM Challenge. The win came from their outstanding presentation to a panel of corporate sponsors, reminiscent of a riveting scene from the hit show "Shark Tank." The challenge posed a thought-provoking question: In our new postpandemic world, how can we enhance mental, physical, and relational health and wellness in our homes, schools, and communities using science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)?

Teams were required to build prototypes demonstrating their innovative ideas. The teams were free to construct their prototypes with the option of using recycled or reused items and the opportunity to work in a maker space. The prototype's functionality was optional, but teams had to explain how it would operate under ideal conditions if it couldn't function in its current state.

Tohatchi High assembled the Challenge team by enlisting members of the MESA organization sponsored by Nancy Riza Dela Cruz. Competing, the team had a secret weapon, Lamberto Geolin Jr. As a former sponsor, he had led the team to victory in the first-ever competition held in 2019 and then orchestrated a repeat victory in 2020. The school did not compete in the years following. When the chance came up again, Geolin Jr. said, "I was excited to get the students back involved. We are not something small when it comes to competition. We won it before, and I knew we could again." The team came up with a concept to purify drinking water through a corn stover water filtration system. Corn stover is everything left over after harvest, including the stalk, husk, leaves, and tassels. Destiny Jackson said, "Getting clean water was a problem during the pandemic. So, we devised a project to solve this issue using corn stover, a resource we have a lot of." Her teammate Bailey Chato added, "We decided to start the project because we want to help and support our local community."

The competition is structured so that teams present to corporate leaders and innovators in the state. Each corporate sponsor picks a school to sponsor. That school receives $500 for each student on the team. Tohatchi was lucky enough to be selected by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. The NRAO outside Socorro is best known for the Very Large Array. The organization has already contacted the school to invite the team to visit their location. They will also send a representative to visit Tohatchi High School, hopefully to deliver the prize! Teammate Mark Barney said, "When the NRAO announced that they selected our project, I felt relieved and thankful that our hard work had paid off."

Tohatchi High School's victory in the New Mexico Governor's STEM Challenge is a testament to their student body's extraordinary talent and dedication. By envisioning a future where STEM can reshape our well-being, they have shown us that anything is possible with determination and innovation. Winning is more impressive when you know most teams across the state consist of ten students. The Tohatchi team consisted of only five: Baily Chato, Destiney Jackson, Mark Barney, Jacob Long, and Harlan Henio. Lamberto Geolin Jr., Nancy Riza Dela Cruz, and Fe P. Quiambao coached it.

Here is a skeleton of what they presented:

Corn Stover Water Filtration System

Tohatchi High School NM Governor STEM Challenge Team Students: • Baily Chato • Destiney Jackson, • Mark Barney • Jacob Long • Harlan Henio

Coaches: Lamberto Geolin Jr., Nancy Riza Dela Cruz and Fe P. Quiambao.

Access to clean and safe drinking water is a big problem around the world, especially for communities in rural areas like Tohatchi Community in Tohatchi, New Mexico, USA. It is located in the Northeast region of the Navajo Nation, home of the Dine’ people and the biggest Native American tribe in America. These remote places in the Navajo Reservation often do not have source of water coming from the pipes and has no good water filters so the water can have impurities in it that can potentially make people sick.

To overcome the challenges of existing water treatment methods and make a more affordable option, our team created a prototype. This prototype addresses concerns about water impurities by introducing a corn-based, ecofriendly filtration system. This system is not only cost-effective but readily available in some areas of the Navajo Nation.

Our innovation aims to provide a sustainable and locally sourced solution to improve water quality and access in the region The primary aim of this project is to create a water filter that is inexpensive and effective, using various forms of corn stover as the filtering material. We will also test the water for the presence of chlorine, hardness, alkalinity, nitrate, nitrite, fluoride, carbonate/bicarbonate, iron, copper, calcium, and its acidity. The goal is to develop a filter that is easily accessible in the Navajo Nation.

Corn stover is made up of the entirety of a corn crop – the stalk, husk, leaves, and tassels. When a farmer has fully harvested the stock, the farmer then uses what is left over to make advanced biofuel or emergency livestock feed. Engineers from UC Riverside conducted effective research on converting corn stover into activated carbon for use in water treatment. However, that could take a significant amount of time for people to commit to. What if we skip a step and just use the materials of corn stover to make the filtration system?

The corn stover water filtration system demonstrates strengths in cost-effectiveness, local availability, environmental friendliness, and water quality improvement. Nonetheless, considerations such as proper harvesting practices and seasonal limitations highlight areas for improvement and adaptation in ensuring the system's overall success.

Tohatchi HS Team Winnings:

• 2019 NM Governor’s STEM Challenge – The Project was chosen by Intel

• 2020 NM Governor's STEM Challenge – The Project was chosen by Air Force Research Laboratories

• 2024 NM Governor’s STEM Challenge – The Project was chosen by National Radio Astronomy