Competitors enjoying an MRE lunch.

Clean Beam, the winning 7th grade team.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program has named the winners of its 23rd annual eCYBERMISSION National Judging & Educational Event, which recognizes outstanding STEM experimentation conducted by students in grades six through nine. The winning teams are The Prairie Protectors (6th grade), Clean Beam (7th grade), Hydro Heroes (8th grade) and Berryfresh – Berry Good Tech (9th grade), each of which will each receive $10,000 per student in U.S. EE Savings Bonds at maturity.

“These students are not only solving real-world problems, they’re building the future of innovation and national security,” said Christina Weber, AEOP cooperative agreement manager. “Their creativity, collaboration and dedication reflect the very heart of AEOP’s mission to inspire and prepare the next generation of STEM leaders.”

Hosted at the Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles in Chantilly, Virginia, from June 23–27, NJ&EE assembled the top 20 teams from across the country (five per grade level) after months of research, testing and community-focused innovation. The teams presented their projects to a panel of esteemed judges, including DoD scientists and engineers representatives from the National Science Teaching Association and the 2025 eCYBERMISSION Team Advisor of the Year.

The winning teams were announced during a national awards ceremony on June 27, concluding a week filled with STEM exploration, hands-on learning and meaningful connections with STEM professionals and Army scientists.

The 2025 national winners are:

The Prairie Protectors – 6th Grade

The Prairie Protectors investigated the impact of the oil industry on prairie biodiversity, native grass growth and soil health, and used the gathered information to create and disseminate “seed bombs” for prairie restoration. The team is from from Southcrest Christian School in Lubbock, Texas, and is comprised of London Ferran, Tatum Lust, Kyndall Ordonez and Emmerson Turner, plus Team Advisor Michelle Bueermann.

Clean Beam – 7th Grade

Clean Beam developed a chemical-free sanitizing device to eliminate algae, bacterial and viral pathogens, and parasites from water to address the issue of contaminants in livestock drinking water. The team is from from OSIEL in Bixby, Oklahoma, and is comprised of Derek Craig Jr., Landon Johnson and Gabriel Potter, plus Team Advisor Jason Arant.

Hydro Heroes – 8th Grade

Hydro Heroes sought to find a way to remove microplastics from tap water and found chia seed flocculant to be more successful than traditionally-used chemical additives that can be harmful to human health. The team is from Bay Sea Scouts Inc. in Bay Village, Ohio, and is comprised of Olivia Kim, Elizabeth Moody, Annie Wei and April Yao, plus Team Advisor Richard Gash.

Berryfresh – Berry Good Tech – 9th Grade

Berryfresh – Berry Good Tech utilized machine learning to create an app that notifies users of the freshness of strawberries in their refrigerators to prevent food waste. The team is from Green Hope High School and Triangle Math and Science Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is comprised of Shrika Kota and Janhawi Patil, plus Team Advisor Deepti Salvi.

In addition to the national winners, Team BrAIniac Buddy (7th grade, Utah) received the Army Values Award for best embodying the U.S. Army values throughout the week, and Team The Clean Water Crew (6th grade, Arizona) received the People’s Choice Award, which was decided by the popular vote of at-home viewers after all teams presented their projects at the national showcase.

eCYBERMISSION is a free, virtual, STEM competition that promotes teamwork, self-discovery and real-life applications of STEM. The teams, and their adult advisors, focus on problems in their local communities that can be solved through science and engineering. The competition allows students to apply science and engineering firsthand, to interact with STEM professionals, compete for state, regional and national awards. eCYBERMISSION students have applied for and received patents, expanded their projects into businesses, and achieved further national recognition, including the first-ever TIME’s Kid of the Year award. eCYBERMISSION is an Army Educational Outreach Program competition administered by the National Science Teaching Association.

Registration for the 2025-2026 eCYBERMISSION competition will open in the fall. To learn more, please visit www.ecybermission.com.

“Nothing is more important to the Army and the nation than developing and nurturing the next generation of innovators” said Mr. Chris Manning, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology. “These kids represent the best and brightest STEM talent, and it was great to see all of this year’s competitors come up with innovative, novel solutions to some really hard problems.”

For over 50 years, the U.S. Army has supported a wide range of educational STEM opportunities for youth, college and graduate students, and our valued teachers. Through AEOP, the U.S. Army continues its long tradition and strong commitment to the advancement of STEM education and literacy. Leveraging its most valuable assets – world-class scientists and engineers, and research facilities – AEOP offers our nation’s youth and teachers a collaborative, cohesive portfolio of opportunities that effectively engage future workforce generations in meaningful, real-world STEM experiences, competitions and paid internships. For more information about AEOP, please visit www.usaeop.com.

For additional information about this release, please contact Aaron Cutler at aaron.p.cutler.civ@army.mil.