She’s EmPOWERed: Seventh Grader Creates Award-Winning Early Warning Fire Detection System

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At 12 years old, Shanya Gill is making local and national headlines as an award-winning scientist. The seventh grader from San Jose, Calif. recently earned the Aspiring Scientists Cultivating Exciting New Discoveries (ASCEND) Award, which is the top prize at the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge held in partnership with the Society for Science.  

She was among 30 finalists who participated in team challenges in addition to being judged on their science research projects. According to a press release, the challenges leveraged project-based learning and tested students’ critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration skills in each of the STEM areas – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. In the end, Shanya won $25,000, which she plans to use toward future education endeavors. 

Inspired to Make a Difference

In the summer of 2022, a fire destroyed a restaurant behind Shanya’s house. The incident had an impact on many people living nearby, including Shanya. 

‘This deeply moved me because the restaurant was part of my community, and when I would go on walks, I would see it every day. Because of this experience, I researched more about house fires and decided to do something about it,” she said. 

Shanya discovered that thermal cameras can detect heat loss in homes during winter months. So she wondered if these cameras could also spot house fires more quickly than traditional smoke detectors.

Shanya built a prototype fire-detection system using a wall-mounted thermal camera that can send text alerts when a heat source is left unattended. The device is designed to predict an unattended fire before it becomes a threat, instead of waiting for the fire to be a significant safety hazard like smoke detectors do. 

“My product is a fire detector that is faster, more accurate, and with finalization, will be more affordable than your traditional smoke detector,” she noted.  

“Throughout my life, I want to be able to follow my passions and make a positive difference wherever I go.”

Shanya plans to put her device on the market and fine-tune the code and other aspects. 

We look forward to reading more news about Shanya and the good she’s doing and will do in the world. Learn more about her project/device by visiting the Society for Science YouTube channel. 

Make an Impact with Girl World Peace Academy

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Empowered Flower Girl offers an additional $50 off enrollment Black Friday through Cyber Monday

Empowered Flower Girl, a social enterprise on a mission to transform the way young people people to one another and themselves, wants to help as many youth advocates as possible make a difference in the lives of young people.

The past few years have been challenging for students – in particular, girls and gender expansive youth. Recent reports have shown that they are being harassed online at alarming rates. And their self esteem is being impacted.

Empowered Flower Girl recognizes it can be a struggle for girls to find their place in the world – from social pressures to feeling overwhelmed by emotions. But there are strategies that can help them reach their full potential.

That’s why the company launched Girl World Peace Academy – a virtual course plus 1:1 coaching program providing guidance for educators, counselors and afterschool/non-profit professionals to make a difference in the lives of young people.

“Since launching Girl World Peace Academy, our dedicated alumni have made significant impacts in their communities. Each of these women have grown their companies/organizations, while also empowering girls and young women in a way that is both inspiring and life-changing'” said Rasheda Kamaria Williams, chief empowering officer and founder of Empowered Flower Girl.

“From Michigan and Ontario to South Carolina and Illinois, they are making an indelible mark on the world around them. We want to help others do the same. Our young people need us.”

This Black Friday (Nov. 24) through Cyber Monday (Nov. 27), Empowered Flower Girl is offering an additional $50 off Girl World Peace Academy enrollment as well as some amazing bonuses for the first 10 registrants.

Learn more at www.girlworldpeace.com/info.

About Empowered Flower Girl
Founded by award-winning mentor, author and TEDx speaker Rasheda Kamaria Williams, Empowered Flower Girl is a social enterprise on a mission to transform the way young people relate to one another and themselves. We partner with schools, nonprofits and community organizations seeking solutions to cyberbullying, drama, relational aggression and other social/communications challenges. Visit www.empoweredflowergirl.com.

Empowered Flower Girl’s Rasheda Kamaria Williams to Deliver Morning Keynote for Defeat the Label’s Annual Community Conversation on Bullying

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Empowered Flower Girl is proud to announce that Founder and Chief Empowering Officer Rasheda Kamaria Williams has been selected as the keynote speaker for Defeat the Label’s annual Community Conversation on Bullying. Rasheda will kick off the virtual conference with an interactive talk “Pretty Powerful: Inspiring Empathy and Self-Esteem Among 21st Century Tweens/Teens.” The event, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on November 9, 2023, is free and open to the public.

Rasheda Kamaria Williams is an award-winning youth advocate, author, and motivational speaker dedicated to empowering young people to overcome the challenges they face in and out of the classroom. Her keynote address will explore how parents, educators and mentors and mental health professionals can help youth, particularly girls and young women, cultivate more positive relationships with one another and themselves.

Defeat the Label’s annual Community Conversation on Bullying has been a leading platform for addressing the critical issue of bullying in today’s society. The event brings together thought leaders, advocates, parents, educators, and community members to share knowledge and strategies for creating a more inclusive and empathetic world.

“Together, we can help young people rise above challenges, fostering not just stronger bonds with others, but a deeper connection with their own strength and self-worth,” Rasheda said.

To learn more about the event or register, visit Eventbrite.com. 

Defeat the Label is a 501(c)3 organization that is empowering students in classrooms around the globe and believes that in order to end bullying, we have to put the power back where it belongs – in the hands of the students.