For almost 100 years, Time magazine has picked a Person of the Year, to recognize someone—or something—who has had a major impact the previous year. Activists, politicians, scientists, and even a computer have won. But in 2020, a new award was introduced: Kid of the Year.
That honor went to Gitanjali Rao, a 15-year-old scientist and inventor from Lone Tree, Colorado. Gitanjali tackles everything from opioid addiction to cyberbullying. She also mentors other young inventors, hoping to inspire kids to identify issues in their communities that they might be able to fix.
Gitanjali came up with her first major invention when she was 12 years old. After learning about lead water pollution in Flint, Michigan, she was inspired to invent a device that could quickly detect lead in water. Exposure to lead can affect brain development, leading to learning and behavioral problems. It can also damage internal organs and weaken muscles and bones. “Seeing how many people were affected by lead in their drinking water was appalling,” she says.
For almost 100 years, Time Magazine has picked a Person of the Year. The title goes to someone—or something—who has made a big difference that year. Activists, politicians, scientists, and even a computer have won. But in 2020, a new award was introduced: Kid of the Year.
That honor went to Gitanjali Rao. She’s a 15-year-old scientist and inventor from Lone Tree, Colorado. Gitanjali builds things she thinks can help other people. She also teaches other young inventors to identify issues in their communities that they might be able to fix.
Gitanjali came up with her first major invention when she was 12. It started when she learned about lead water pollution in Flint, Michigan. She was inspired to invent a device that could quickly detect lead in water. Exposure to lead can cause problems with brain development. It can also damage internal organs and weaken muscles and bones. “Seeing how many people were affected by lead in their drinking water was appalling,” says Gitanjali.