Germantown student wins national innovation award

Saksham Saksena, a rising senior at Houston High School, has been busy this summer.
While under quarantine, he and classmate Shivam Aarya made good use of their time at home to participate in the national Innovation Generation Making the Good Challenge hosted by Stanley, Black & Decker.
Their submission, “Defeating the Opioid Epidemic with Transcutaneous Electro-Analgesia” has won first place in the contest.
The competition, focused on “Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math, engages students in building, doing, and making an impact in the community by harnessing the power of STEAM skills.”
Created in partnership between Stanley Black & Decker and Discovery Education, Innovation Generation “aims to engage and excite educators and students and empower the makers within.”
Saksena’s Team No Dolor took a proactive approach to tackling the opioid epidemic by exploring non-pharmacologic pain remedies, including an incredible non-invasive electro-stimulation therapy.
Saksena and Aarya created custom-made 3D printer models to create a device to relieve back pain.
“In addition to becoming a doctor one day, I also hope to create these types of innovations,” shared Saksena. “I want to research to create products to help the masses in addition to my medical profession”.
He and his partner have been gifted a cash prize and the chance that their device may one day go into production.
“I plan to use the money for college,” he shared.
This is not Saksham’s first national victory. He won a NASA contest in middle school which resulted in the school being gifted an additional 3D printer. Even in middle school his innovations centered around the medical field.
His advice to parents and teachers?
“Watch your kids and observe their passions,” he noted. “Actively search for competitions for them to enter based on those passions”.