By Erica Thomas, managing editor
TRUSSVILLE — The Hewitt-Trussville High School Engineering Academy is celebrating another national win after a team won first place in the Thomas Edison Pitch Contest.
Seniors Reagan Felts and Kaylee Rivas presented their Hot Paws invention and came away as winners of the high school division.
Hot Paws is a pet leash that reads ground temperature and alerts the owner with LED indicators when the ground is too hot for the dogs’ paws.
In addition to winning first place in the nation in the Thomas Edison Pitch contest, Reagan and Kaylee also received third Place in the Engineering category at the Central Alabama Regional Science and Engineering Fair. Reagan and Kaylee also advanced to compete in the Alabama State Science and Engineering Fair.
The finalists for the Thomas Edison Pitch Contest were chosen from 205 teams representing 546 students from 24 states and four countries. The students pitched their invention ideas to an expert judge panel consisting of education professionals, Edison experts, and technical/business experts to win 3D Printers, Science Kits, and other fun prizes for their schools!
This year was the 11th year for the Thomas Edison Pitch Contest. It was hosted digitally and you can watch all of the pitches by going to https://youtu.be/DEI506aDSVg.
Reagan and Kaylee presented their idea in the video below.