A group of innovative students from Bloomington South are achieving at a national level in Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow competition. These students, consisting of Ethan Kiang, Rebekah Mou, Emma Shaw, Kiefer Kettenis, Truman Daleke, Hazel Stringer, Toby Thomassen, Lilah Streiff, and Oliver Callahan, received the Sustainability Innovation Award, granting them $50,000 worth of “eco-conscious” Samsung Tech in addition to the $50,000 worth of Samsung technology and supplies that they received for becoming a national finalist.

Ten different schools from across the country were recently invited to Washington D.C. to present their plans that would promote innovation and a better community as a result. The group’s plan consists of utilizing ultra-reflective barium sulfate microsphere paint to reduce the effects of global warming in Bloomington. By combining barium chloride and sodium sulfate with an EDTA buffer solution, the group is able to create microscopic barium sulfate spheres that reflect 99.7% of incoming sunlight, cooling the surrounding area.

Ethan Kiang, a member of the group, is excited by the opportunity. “To be able to contribute to a climate change solution, even locally, feels really good,” Kiang says. “STEM truly touches every aspect of life, so to have companies and organizations recognizing its importance is very cool.”