Cambridge student, 12, turns movement into energy, eyes $25K prize

A 12-year-old student from Cambridge, Massachusetts, has developed a technology that could help find new ways to generate cleaner energy by capturing power from everyday movement.Ahmed Abdelsalam, a sixth-grade student at Darby Vassall Upper School, created VERDA, a system that harvests energy from sources including walking.Ahmed’s project has earned him a place among the 10 finalists of the 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a US national science competition for students aged 11 to 14.The competition recognises young students who use science and technology to develop solutions for real-world problems.As one of the finalists, Ahmed will now receive mentorship from a 3M scientist during the summer. He will continue improving his project before taking part in the final competition in October, where he will compete for a $25,000 grand prize and the title of 'America's top young scientist'.Idea of energy harvestingAhmed’s project focuses on a concept called energy harvesting. It involves collecting energy from movements or sources that are around us and connverts them into usable power.Movement is present in many forms. People walking, wind blowing and waves moving in water all create energy. Ahmed’s VERDA system aims to capture energy from these movements and use it to support more sustainable power solutions. The idea is based on finding ways to make better use of energy that is often lostAhmed developed VERDA because he wanted to use science to solve problems related to clean energy and the environment. Explaining why he entered the competition, Ahmed told Young Scientist Lab, "I really enjoy coming up with ideas and using science to solve problems. I wanted to share my project and show that even a student can create an invention that could help people and the environment.""Since my project focuses on clean energy, this challenge felt right. I also wanted to push myself, learn from the experience, and grow as a young scientist. For me, this competition is not just about winning, but also about believing that my ideas can make a difference," he adds.Inspired by Ahmed ZewailAhmed says he is inspired by scientists who use research to understand the world better. A scientist he admires is Ahmed Zewail. His work in femtochemistry has helped scientists study chemical reactions at extremely fast speeds.Femtochemistry is a field that looks at chemical reactions happening in very short time periods. Ahmed says he likes this work because it helped understand chemistry better and opened opportunities for further discoveries. He says Zewail’s achievements motivate him to continue working hard in science.In future, Ahmed hopes to become an inventor or engineer. He wants to create technologies that help people and protect the environment. "In 15 years, I hope to be an inventor or engineer because I really enjoy coming up with ideas and testing how things work," he says.He adds, "I want to make inventions that help people and protect the environment, especially by creating new clean energy technology. I hope I will still be curious, creative, and not afraid to try new things, because that is how big ideas can grow into something real." 3M scientist challangeAhmed will work with Abhishek Srivastava, an Advanced Research Specialist at 3M, before the final round of the competition. His work involves developing engineering solutions using mechanics, materials science and computational modelling.After the mentorship period, all 10 finalists will meet in St Paul, Minnesota, on October 12 and 13 for the final competition.During the event, students will participate in live challenges, present their projects and answer questions from judges. One finalist will then be selected as America’s Top Young Scientist and receive the $25,000 prize.The challenge has previously featured students who developed solutions for problems related to cybersecurity, coral reef health, water conservation, food safety, energy use, air pollution and transportation.Some former winners and finalists have later received wider recognition. Gitanjali Rao became TIME’s first-ever Kid of the Year in 2020, Liam McCarty was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2022, and Heman Bekele was named TIME’s Kid of the Year in 2024.