Author: sHq_LoGiNz

ST. PAUL, Minn. and CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 6, 2026 /3BL/ – 3M and Discovery Education today announced the 10 finalists in the 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge, the nation’s premier middle school science competition. Now in its 19^th year, the annual challenge invites students in fifth through eighth grade to think creatively and apply the power of STEM to develop real-world solutions. 

Each of the 10 finalists receive an exclusive mentorship with a 3M scientist and at the final event in October, they have the chance to win a $25,000 grand prize and the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist.” They will work alongside their 3M scientist mentors throughout the summer to gain hands-on experience that will advance the development of their solution.  

The top 10 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge finalists are as follows (in alphabetical order by last name):

• Ahmed Abdelsalam, Cambridge, Mass., Darby Vassall Upper School, Cambridge Public Schools 
• Aaisha Asif, Sarasota, Fla., Pine View, Sarasota County Schools 
• Raji Doshi, Farmington, Conn., Talcott Mountain Academy, Private School 
• Aiden Jo, Houston, Texas, The Village School, Houston Independent School District
• Roy Kim, Beaverton, Ore., Whitford Middle School, Beaverton School District
• Arika Kundu, Shorewood, Minn., Minnetonka Middle School East, Minnetonka Public Schools 
• Sharvi Mahajan, San Diego, Calif., Bernardo Heights Middle School, Poway Unified School District 
• Millie Pradawong, Fairfax, Va., Thoreau Middle School, Fairfax County 
• Naboshree Santra, Oviedo, Fla., Jackson Heights Middle School, Seminole County Public Schools 
• Abigail Stein, Nashville, Tenn., Harding Academy, Nashville Independent Schools

“The 3M Young Scientist Challenge brings together student curiosity, scientific thinking and 3M mentorship to turn promising ideas into real solutions,” said William Brown, 3M Chairman and CEO. “3M is focused on helping these young innovators strengthen their ideas and apply science in ways that can make a meaningful impact.”

This year’s 10 finalists, aged 11 to 14, each spotted an everyday problem, developed an innovative solution, and pitched their project through a one- to two-minute entry video. Their proposals align to two of 3M’s 49 technology platforms, including Climate Tech and Safety. An esteemed group of judges, including 3M scientists and leaders in education from across the country, evaluated the entries based on creativity, scientific knowledge and communication effectiveness.

“The finalists of this year’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge prove you can be a scientist at any age,” said Brian Shaw, chief executive officer at Discovery Education. “Each remarkable student pursued their curiosity with persistence, turning an idea into an innovation. We cannot wait to see where their ideas take them.”

Next steps in the competition

Each of the 10 finalists will participate in an exclusive summer mentorship program with a 3M scientist. These mentors will provide guidance and advice to help advance each finalist’s solution. Then, on October 12-13, all 10 finalists will gather at the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minn., to go head-to-head in the final interactive competition.

At this final event, each finalist will participate in a series of live challenges before presenting their final project and answering questions from a panel of judges. At the close of the competition, one finalist will be named the grand prize winner, receiving $25,000 and the title of America’s Top Young Scientist.

Previous competition winners and alumni achievements

Previous challenge finalists and 3M scientists have created solutions for a wide variety of real-world problems, including cybersecurity, coral reef health, water conservation, food safety, energy consumption, air pollution and transportation efficiency. Former America’s Top Young Scientists have given TED Talks, filed patents and founded nonprofits. In addition, a 3M Young Scientist Challenge Alumni Network was formed in fall 2022 and includes more than 100 former challenge winners, finalists and mentors, who take part in networking opportunities and more. Past honors include: 

• Gitanjali Rao became TIME’s first-ever Kid of the Year in 2020 
• Liam McCarty was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2022
• Heman Bekele was TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year

Learning resources for all educators and students

The 3M Young Scientist Challenge is complemented by Young Scientist Lab, a free digital resource program from 3M and Discovery Education that gives every student, regardless of background, access to standards-aligned, hands-on science experiences designed to spark curiosity and build STEM skills. Students, teachers and families of all skill levels can explore, transform and innovate the world around them. Young Scientist Lab resources are also available through Discovery Education Experience, the essential companion for engaged PreK-12 classrooms.

To learn more about the 3M Young Scientist Challenge and meet the 2026 finalists, visit YoungScientistLab.com.

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About 3M

3M (NYSE: MMM) is focused on transforming industries around the world by applying science and creating innovative, customer-focused solutions. Our multi-disciplinary team is working to solve tough customer problems by leveraging diverse technology platforms, differentiated capabilities, global footprint, and operational excellence. Discover how 3M is shaping the future at 3M.com/news. 

About Discovery Education

Discovery Education is a global education technology leader whose innovative solutions empower educators and progress student learning. Discovery Education’s solutions have served more than 100 million students globally, supporting effective teaching and learning in 45% of U.S. K-12 schools and in 100+ countries and territories. The company’s portfolio includes award-winning core and supplemental curriculum, high-quality standards-aligned content, and AI-enabled teaching and learning tools. Solutions span math, science, literacy, social studies, and career-connected learning, including instructionally-aligned content developed through one-of-a-kind partnerships with industry leaders to bring real-world relevance into every lesson. Learn more at www.DiscoveryEducation.com.

Contacts
3M
3Mnews@mmm.com

Ali Koper
Discovery Education
akoper@discoveryed.com

To close its inaugural season, the AskNature Podcast features engineer and biomimic Gamelihle (Gama) Sibanda.

He takes listeners on a journey from his formative years in Zimbabwe to using the architectural wisdom of ants and termites to solve real-world flooding crises.

Tune in to Episode 6 to explore how one can take a childhood curiosity of observing insects and turn it into a global engineering framework, bringing together Indigenous knowledge, biomimicry, and the ethics of artificial intelligence.

Listen to the podcast

Originally published on CVS Health Company Newsroom

Local organizations receive Hometown Fund support to expand access to health care, food, housing and essential services

HARTFORD, Conn., July 6, 2026 /3BL/ – The CVS Health Foundation is investing $1 million in grants through its Hometown Fund to 20 organizations that are making a difference for the Greater Hartford area every day. This year, Hometown Fund grants will support local nonprofits working to increase access to health care, address food insecurity, expand availability of stable housing and increase access to critical community services across the Greater Hartford area.

“We’re investing in Hartford nonprofits that are meeting people where they are – helping individuals and families access health care, food, stable housing and the support they need to stay healthy,” said Jenny McColloch, president of the CVS Health Foundation. “Through our Hometown Fund, we focus on communities our colleagues call home, supporting organizations that are addressing the everyday factors that shape wellbeing and making a difference in the Greater Hartford area.”

ImmaCare, one of this year’s CVS Health Foundation Hometown Fund grant recipients, is helping transform lives in Hartford by supporting individuals experiencing homelessness with more than just a place to stay. Through emergency shelter, housing assistance, and wraparound services that address mental health and substance use, ImmaCare is tackling the root causes of homelessness. This funding will help expand access to critical support, empowering more individuals to improve their health, and build a path toward long-term stability and independence.

“ImmaCare is honored to receive a Hometown Fund grant from the CVS Health Foundation,” said Teresa A. Wierbicki, director of strategic development at ImmaCare. “Flexible support like this is invaluable, allowing us to invest in strategic initiatives that strengthen our services, expand pathways to stable housing and address the increasing challenges of homelessness and housing insecurity. Together, we are creating lasting opportunities for individuals to rebuild their lives.”

From helping older adults live independently and accessing health care to ensure families don’t have to worry about their next meal, this year’s grantees reflect the strength and resilience of communities across the Greater Hartford area and their impact on community health. Alongside ImmaCare, additional recipients of the Hometown Fund in Greater Hartford include Center for Children’s Advocacy, Center for Latino Progress, Chrysalis Center, Easterseals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut, Enfield Loaves & Fishes, Forge City Works, Friendship Service Center, Hartford Health Initiative, House of Bread, Journey Home, KNOX, Malta House of Care, Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation, Northeast Neighborhood Partners, Prudence Crandall Center, Special Olympics Connecticut, St. Vincent Depaul Place Middletown, Urban League of Greater Hartford, and YWCA Hartford Region.

The Hometown Fund supports local nonprofits across Rhode Island and in the Hartford, Connecticut area — two key communities where CVS Health colleagues live and work. Through the grant program, the Foundation provides general operating support to organizations that are making a difference by expanding access to health care and addressing the everyday factors that shape people’s wellbeing, like nutritious food and housing.

The CVS Health Foundation is announcing this year’s Hometown Fund grantees as part of its continued commitment to strengthening community health across Connecticut. In 2025, CVS Health and the CVS Health Foundation contributed more than $2.61 million in charitable giving across the state, alongside thousands of volunteer hours from colleagues and investments in workforce development initiatives that support local career pathways. The company also provides free health screenings through its Project Health initiative, reaching hundreds of Connecticut residents last year, while continuing to work alongside community-based organizations to address critical needs such as housing, food access, and mental health services – all part of a broader effort to improve health outcomes and expand access to care statewide.

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About The CVS Health Foundation

The CVS Health Foundation has a proud history of supporting local communities across various regions throughout the United States. The Foundation is dedicated to uniting communities to address health challenges in collaboration with a wide range of nonprofit grantees. The Foundation collaborates on programs that enhance health outcomes, with focus areas including mental well-being, healthy aging, maternal health, health impacts from extreme weather and chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It also helps lay the groundwork for a healthier future by assisting organizations that address food security and promote educational opportunities. Additionally, the CVS Health Foundation supports CVS Health colleagues by backing the causes that are most meaningful to them through its Matching Gifts, Volunteer Challenge Grants and Children of Colleague Scholarship programs.

Media Contacts

Courtney Tavener
401-712-3698
Courtney.Tavener@CVSHealth.com

Much of the conversation around artificial intelligence understandably focuses on models, compute power, and software innovation. Yet after participating in discussions at the Rome Conference on AI, Ethics & Governance, I came away with a growing conviction: the next chapter of AI is as much an infrastructure story as it is a technology – and, increasingly, a societal one.

As AI adoption accelerates, we are beginning to confront questions that extend beyond computing power alone. How will we generate the energy needed to support AI at scale? How will we manage increasingly concentrated heat loads? How will we use water responsibly? How will communities experience the infrastructure being built around them?

These are not secondary considerations. They are becoming core design questions.

A Moment of Choice

We have seen challenges like this before.

Over the past several decades, industries around the world have worked together to transform refrigeration systems—improving performance while significantly reducing environmental impact. That progress did not happen because of a single breakthrough. It required collaboration across manufacturers, policymakers, equipment providers, and technology developers. It required the willingness to adopt new technologies and rethink established systems.

I believe AI infrastructure is approaching a similar moment.

As chip architectures become more powerful and workloads more demanding, energy density continues to increase. That translates directly into higher heat loads, greater cooling requirements, and increasing pressure on energy and water systems.

We have reached a choice point. We can continue to incrementally adapt legacy systems, or we can rethink how the infrastructure supporting AI is designed.

Cooling is one clear example. Air cooling has served the industry well, but for the performance levels AI now requires, air alone is reaching its limits in data centers. Many operators are moving toward liquid cooling, including single-phase direct-to-chip approaches. But as rack densities continue to rise, we will need to keep moving toward more advanced solutions, including two-phase liquid cooling.

In many cases, the barrier is no longer technical feasibility. It is risk tolerance and inertia in existing infrastructure designs. Delaying adoption may feel lower risk in the short term, but it can also increase cost and complexity over time as infrastructure struggles to keep up.

That transition matters because the decision to adopt new cooling technologies can do more than support performance. It can help reduce total cost of ownership, lower energy requirements, and dramatically reduce water use.

Those outcomes matter beyond the walls of a data center. AI’s impact is experienced through electricity demand, water use, siting decisions, and the relationship between infrastructure and the communities that host it.

As AI infrastructure grows, there is also a growing expectation that the entire value chain—from technology to materials—operates responsibly. Trust will depend on performance, transparency, and responsibility advancing together.

Efficiency May Be the Most Underrated Innovation Opportunity

I suspect one of the largest opportunities over the next decade may lie in efficiency.

The opportunity is significant. Better workload allocation, smarter cooling, eliminating wasted compute, and making the most out of every electron of energy can drive meaningful efficiency gains. The challenge, however, is not technology. In many cases, the challenge is adoption.

We need to think beyond incremental improvements. The biggest gains often come when industries are willing to leapfrog to new approaches rather than continuously optimizing legacy systems.

In cooling, for example, advanced two-phase liquid cooling technologies offer opportunities to reduce energy consumption, nearly eliminate water use, reduce noise, and support significantly higher compute densities than were previously possible.

The question is not whether these technologies will play a larger role in the future, but how quickly we can scale when we know rack densities will start to exceed 500kW within 2027.

Performance and speed are often prioritized over efficiency, even when more efficient solutions exist. That is why this ultimately becomes a leadership and systems question. Do we design for performance and efficiency, so they are inseparable, or do we continue to treat them as competing priorities?

Why Policy Matters

This is also why policy discussions are increasingly important.

We know it is difficult to manage what we do not measure, and today we are not measuring the full system. Energy use is only part of the picture. Water use, land use, and community impact must also be considered if we want infrastructure that is both high-performing and resource-efficient.

The next step is better disclosure and a broader set of metrics that reflect real-world resource use and community impact. Policy can play an important role by setting clear expectations, so efficiency and transparency are built in from the start. That helps us move from a partial picture to a more complete one.

Smart policy can help establish clear expectations around efficiency, resource use, transparency, and community benefit in ways that encourage innovation while delivering better outcomes. We are already starting to see this happen. In Singapore, policymakers reopened data center development with stricter efficiency requirements, while Europe is expanding reporting requirements beyond energy consumption alone to include broader resource-use metrics.

In the United States, similar momentum is emerging through bipartisan liquid cooling legislation introduced in both the House and Senate, signaling growing recognition of the need for more efficient, next generation data center infrastructure.

In major technology transitions, progress depends on more than technical readiness. It also depends on the ability of policy, industry, and equipment manufacturers to move together. That was true in the evolution of refrigerants, and I believe it will be true as AI infrastructure evolves.

Building What Comes Next

We have seen industries navigate transitions like this before. The organizations and countries that lead are rarely the ones that wait for perfect conditions. They are the ones willing to embrace innovation, align incentives, and build for what comes next.

The decisions we make today will help determine whether AI develops on infrastructure that is merely larger—or infrastructure that is smarter, more efficient, more resilient, and better aligned with the communities it serves.

This is an opportunity worth getting right. And it will take leadership to get there.

Denise Dignam is the President and Chief Executive Office of The Chemours Company, a global chemistry company with a vision to deliver Trusted Chemistry that makes people’s lives better and helps communities thrive.