Three STEM projects from Thomas Jefferson STEM School’s Upper Elementary division have been selected to compete in scientific fairs—one in Valparaíso and two in Concepción, where TJSS stands out as the only participating school from the city of Talcahuano.
In Valparaíso, from 6th Grade Francisca Amaza and Maximiliano Silva will take part in the 11th annual Innovation, Science, and Technology School Contest 2026, hosted by the Natural History Museum of Valparaíso. Their project, “Aura-Botánica”, features a self-sustaining greenhouse system designed to monitor and care for vegetables, making it easier for families to grow and enjoy fresh produce at home.
In Concepción, from 3rd Grade Raúl Escobar, Julián Lagos, and Máximo Yávar will present at Universidad del Bío-Bío’s 28th National Science and Technology Fair with their project “Smart Ripness”. The team built an AI-powered mobile app using MIT App Inventor that analyzes photos of fruit to instantly identify their ripeness.
Joining them at the same fair are 5th graders Magdalena Varillas, Trinidad Cordero, and Javiera Koserak, alongside 4th grader Antonella Cerliani. Their showcase, “Project Genesis”, is a smart egg incubator that automatically regulates and monitors ventilation, humidity, and temperature throughout the hatching process.
In addition, seven students advanced to the second round of the Latin America STEM Challenge 2026, a regional event driving research and innovation to tackle real-world problems.
Sofía Bustos, Florencia Vera, and Fernanda Yáñez are competing with “TRI Bot”, an Arduino-built robot controlled via Bluetooth. Meanwhile, Cristóbal García, Maximiliano Silva, Rafael Mellado, and Vicente Hinrichs entered “SmartBag: Smart Backpack”, a high-tech solution designed to help students organize their school supplies using electronic identification.
We are incredibly proud of our young innovators and wish them the absolute best in their upcoming competitions!
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