About the Nereid Project

Our mission:
To raise awareness for the Water Crisis through STEM Research and Advocacy. We aim to provide resources and experiences to all through STEM education workshops, Water Awareness Programs and the Nereid Research.  Through these opportunities, we hope to develop a passion for STEM in the world. 
Due to the pandemic, we have also begun to implement our virtual programs to support the community through these turbulent and trying times. 

Our Programs

Why Water?

Nereid's Water Summit
  • ​This summit is an opportunity for those passionate about water to gather and discuss about the impacts of the water crisis. 
  • Simple solutions to reduce the "Water Gap" are also presented by leading advocates to allow for easy application into attendee's lives
  • Participants will learn from researchers from across the country as they present about new and upcoming research
  • Networking opportunities with scientists and activists (both in water and STEM)
  • Advice on how to enter research and advocacy as a "new-comer" will also be presented. 
  • ​Summer and School-year opportunities available for students of all grades/ages
  • Programs are grouped together based on discipline (such as Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, etc)
  • Mentoring and Tutoring available for middle school and high/secondary school students
  • Hands-on experimentation to provide direct education

STEM Education

The Nereid Research
This research is a novel way to detect water contamination through AI (Artificial Intelligence) analyzation of microscopic images of water. As a fully cohesive device, it is both cost-effective and easily applicable across the globe.
The Nereid Project is currently working with the Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) and Engineers Without Borders to get this model implemented in Morocco for additional application.

Awards & Accolades
  • Conrad Challenge Innovator and Top 10 Finalist
  • ​Selected as a Global Teen Leader 2020
  • First place in the State and Nationals Finalist at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP)
  • Gold Medal Congressional Award for STEM Outreach
  • First place at the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
  • Granted the CREST Award by the British Science Association for development of novel AI Processing methods
  • Presented at the Sigma Xi Annual Conference, Ohio Academy of Science Annual Meeting and the American Junior Academy of Sciences (AJAS) Meeting
  • ​Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award

Impact

  • Hosted over 200 water summits
  • Held over 400 hours of STEM camps
  • Implemented the Nereid Research in 3 different countries (and continuing to expand)
  • Worked with over 1000 people both in the local community - and globally​
But why? Because it is 2022, and currently 2.1 billion people across the globe still lack access to clean water. Our oceans are still polluted with contaminants and somedays the battle to achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) looks immensely daunting.
Nereid's goal is to help reach SGD 6 (providing all with access to constant and clean water) and SGD 14 (conserving our oceans). We aim to achieve both of these goals through the implementation of the Nereid research (which is able to identify microbial contamination within seconds thus preventing it from spreading through a community and into natural water sources) and to raise awareness for the crisis through a myriad of advocacy approaches. Some of these approaches include developing STEM education programs for kids and hosting water summits as well. 

Connect with us!
Illustrations from Freepik​ and Canva