Still Winning: Black Girl Trio Hacked In NASA Contest Take Award-Winning Water Filter To Flint

June 25, 2018

(Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Black Girls In NASA Competition See Their Water Filter Idea Through

Remember them? Earlier this year, a group of 11th graders were making a lot of noise on social media for being the only all- black girl finalists in a NASA youth science competition, sending the voted for the team sky high– but then, their entry was compromised after a racist hacker reportedly hindered the contest. We have an update!

(Unfortunately) The DC high school girls, India Skinner, Mikayla Sharrieff, and Bria Snell, won second place in the NASA OSPARC 2018 contest for their innovative water filtration idea. Their idea takes NASA technology designed for water purification and incorporates it into school water systems to remove impurities.

They got to see their idea into fruition! According to CNN, the three teens were coached and helped with their project by mentors at the Inclusive Innovation Incubator in Washington, a community space which combines science, technology and social inclusion.

The Incubator said in a statement to CNN that the students are seeing “positive outcomes” for the NASA challenge, despite the attempts to corrupt the results.

“The ladies are ecstatic about the experience and opportunity the NASA challenge provided,” it said. “While it is true they had amazing community support in the popular public voting, the challenge is focused on the delivery of the scientific exploration … Win or lose — the girls met their goals and will wish the final winner congratulations.”

Just last week, the girls went to Flint to hand out water.

The racist tried to take them down but they still won the NASA challenge with their filter that removes lead from drinking water in schools. Now they are here in #Flint with me to pass out water. #BlackGirlMagic #WeAreTheFuture pic.twitter.com/w0DNkgvDb4

— Mari Copeny (@LittleMissFlint) June 23, 2018