Five Indian American middle school students have qualified as 10 national finalists in the 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge, an annual competition organised by 3M and Discovery Education for students aged 11 to 14 to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems.
The Indian American finalists are Aaisha Asif of Pine View School in Sarasota, Florida; Raji Doshi of Talcott Mountain Academy in Farmington, Connecticut; Arika Kundu of Minnetonka Middle School East in Shorewood, Minnesota; Sharvi Mahajan of Bernardo Heights Middle School in San Diego, California; and Naboshree Santra of Jackson Heights Middle School in Oviedo, Florida.
They will compete alongside five other finalists representing Massachusetts, Texas, Oregon, Virginia, and Tennessee.
Each finalist earned a place in the competition by identifying an everyday problem, developing an original solution, and presenting the idea through a one- to two-minute video. Their projects were aligned with two of 3M’s 49 technology platforms, including areas like Climate Tech and Safety.
Over the summer, every finalist will work closely with a 3M scientist through a mentorship programme to further develop their innovation before the final competition.
The challenge will conclude on October 12–13 at the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, where finalists will participate in live interactive challenges and present their completed projects before a panel of judges.
The overall winner will receive the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist” along with a $25,000 grand prize. According to the 3M Chairman and CEO, the competition combines student curiosity, scientific thinking, and expert mentorship to help transform promising ideas into practical solutions
