PORT RICHEY, Fla. — It’s inspiring to see someone’s intelligence showcased right in front of you.
What You Need To Know
- Gabriel Foote, 12, is already using knowledge of coding and computer science to find a way to help with water conservation
- He worked on creating a smart sprinkler system that can read the level of moisture in the soil to determine how much plants should be watered
- Foote was recognized nationally for this work
Sometimes, though, it’s humbling when that intelligence comes from a 12-year-old.
“If you put this 9-volt battery in, for instance, it’ll put as much power in as you want,” said Gabriel Foote, a 7th grader at Dayspring Academy in Port Richey.
Last fall, when he was 11, he was preparing for his science fair project and wanted to do something different; something that could stand out.
“I consider this computer science and I like science, so any science really appeals to me,” Foote said.
After going to a summer camp at USF where they taught computer science and coding, he wanted to utilize that knowledge in creating something sustainable that could help the planet.
He says he was watching the news with his parents and saw stories about droughts impacting parts of the U.S. and that’s when the lightbulb lit.
“We can make it better or we can make your way worse than it is,” Foote said.
For the next five months, Foote worked on creating a smart sprinkler system that can read the level of moisture in the soil to determine how much plants should be watered.
“Red light is on, your plants need water,” Foote said when demonstrating his project. “They’re dying. Press this and it starts flowing into there and then, the light turns off and it’s sufficient.”
He says his project, which is small in scale, saved hundreds of milliliters in water because of his system.
But, if implemented at a larger level, “on the industrial scale,” said Foote, “that’s a lot of water.”
To no one’s surprise, Foote got a 100 percent on the project. He was also recognized nationally for this work.
Each year, Society for Science holds its junior innovators challenge, which is one of the country’s top STEM competitions. Out of nearly 2,000 students who entered, Foote made the top 300.
“My teacher called me over and she was jumping up and down and said, ‘You got in.’ I’m like, ‘Got in what?’ And she’s like, ‘Got in the top 300.’ I was celebrating with her. And then I got back to my periods, and I was settling in, I was like, ‘Wow,’” Foote recalled.
Because it not only meant a small cash prize, but it meant that months of hard work would be recognized.
Hard work that Foote wasn’t sure about when he was in the thick of it.
“There were times when I went to bed at night thinking, I’m going to fail this project,” Foote said.
But he didn’t just succeed. He created something aimed at helping the planet so it can thrive as much as he will for years to come.
According to Foote, he’s already working on his next science project, which is centered around the feasibility of growing and raising fish on the lunar surface of the moon.
