Sixth-grader Shanya Gill (from San Jose, Calif.) just scored a $25,000 prize for her invention of a system that can help people detect fires before they spread. Shanya won first place in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (Thermo Fisher JIC), the country's top middle school STEM competition.

We sat down with the 12-year-old STEM superstar to get the scoop on her amaze invention...

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Shanya's invention, explained

"My fire-detection system is designed to detect unattended fires and indicate a fire without human supervision," Shanya says.

The technology consists of a thermal camera connected to a computer. Shanya programmed the computer to differentiate between humans (aka heat sources that move horizontally) and hot objects like gas burners (aka heat sources that are stationary). If the system detects a heat source with no human presence nearby for 10 minutes or more, it sends a text warning of the possible threat.

In tests, Shanya's system accurately detected human presence 98% of the time and non-human heat sources 97% of the time.

The inspo behind the system

Shanya's invention was inspired by an accident in her neighborhood. "There was a devastating incident last summer when a restaurant behind my house burned down, despite having smoke detectors," she shares. "That motivated me to develop a more effective system for detecting fires."

There's also her passion for STEM—and her desire to use her talents to make a difference. "I view STEM as a way to translate creativity into projects that can genuinely help someone.

Shanya's vision board

In the future, Shanya hopes to keep building and innovating. "I want to bring my fire-detection system to market and turn that dream into reality," she dishes.

And her advice for budding STEM girlies? "Work on whatever interests you, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant," Shanya says. "STEM doesn't always have to involve groundbreaking, Nobel Prize-worthy science—it can be anything you find intriguing."

Do you know a teen girl in your life who's making *amazing* change in the world? Let us know by emailing us at getfeatured@girlslife.com!

Read on for more inspiring stories:
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🌎 It's your turn to change the world! This teen teaches students everywhere how to make a *real* difference in their communities

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