In Michigan, an 11-year-old girl named Gitanjali Rao made headlines after inventing a portable, low-cost water filtration device designed to detect and remove harmful lead from drinking water — a breakthrough inspired by the Flint water crisis.

Concerned by the stories of children getting sick from contaminated water, Gitanjali decided she didn’t want to just feel sad — she wanted to act. Using her passion for science and innovation, she created a device called “Tethys”, which uses carbon nanotube sensors to quickly detect lead in water and send the results to a smartphone app.

Her invention was easy to use, inexpensive, and could give people in poor or remote communities access to safe drinking water — something that had been out of reach for too many families.

For her efforts, TIME Magazine named her “Kid of the Year” in 2020, praising not only her invention but also her mission to mentor other young innovators around the world.
Gitanjali said:

“I don’t want to just fix problems — I want to inspire others to solve them too.”

Her story proves that age doesn’t define impact — and that a smart, determined kid can change the world.