Hillside New Tech receives $7,000 grant

Hillside New Tech High School was recently awarded a Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam to create a residential green roofing system.

The school is one of only 15 high schools nationwide to be selected as an InvenTeam recipient and the first school in the state selected in the program's eight-year history.

InvenTeams are teams of high school students, teachers and mentors who receive grants to invent technological solutions to real world problems.

Hillside New Tech, the small engineering-focused high school within Hillside High, received $7,000 for a project that will allow plants to grow on sloped roofs, reducing storm water runoff and providing natural shade to homes.

Matthew Sears, Hillside New Tech math teacher, attended training over the summer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in June to help prepare the final proposal, according to a press release.

“It is going to be wonderful to watch our students design, build, test and implement their invention this year,” said Sears, in the release. “These are dedicated students who love to solve difficult problems, and I am excited to see what they can accomplish.”

The team will also work with Michael Barnes, manager and horticulturalist of Duke University Greenhouses, Scott Saxson of the Durham TechShop, and other mentors from local companies and government.

The InvenTeam will develop its residential green roofing system over the next nine months. Students will then showcase a prototype of their invention at EurekaFest at MIT in Cambridge, Mass in June. EurekaFest, presented by the Lemelson-MIT Program, is a multi-day celebration designed to empower a legacy of inventors through activities that inspire youth, honor role models, and encourage creativity and problem solving.