By Arianna Avitia-Gutierrez & Danica Rivera

Junior Lana Thyen won the second place prize in the 74th annual Los Angeles County Science Fair that took place at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Center in March. She has been selected to continue competing at the State Level in April 2024. 

The L.A. County Science Fair provides middle and high school students with a setting to present their scientific investigations, experiments, and innovations to a panel of judges and the public. Students compete for special awards, recognition, scholarships, and opportunities to advance to higher-level competitions. 

Students from 59 schools in Los Angeles County displayed a mix of their scientific, technological, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) skills at the fair. 

Submitted in the Behavioral/Social Science Senior category, Thyen’s project focused on coding an AI-powered device to help speech-impaired youth communicate more efficiently.

“For a while, I had ideas swirling in my mind about creating software to help the community of people with Down Syndrome,” Thyen said. “I saw the need for better communication devices for this group through my volunteer work, so I tinkered with bits of code.”

Starting in August 2023, Thyen dedicated over four months to developing a functional prototype of an AI-powered communication device. This was accomplished by additional months dedicated to testing and refining, leading to the completion of the product that won at the fair.  

“I had to code the whole device, as well as put in the AI feature,” Thyen said. “Then there was a lot of testing with the kids I knew from the organization that I volunteer with. It was a lot of work, but it was so fun. I enjoyed being in that community and all the support I had was awesome.” 

Thyen’s project competed against many other projects in the behavioral/social sciences division including research into relationships between social media usage and depression in teenagers, how music affects the heart rate, and the effects of nuclear weapon education on high school students. Thyen stands out, however, in being one of the most focused on helping people.

“My goal is to use technology to help under-served communities, and this project is a step in that direction,” Thyen said.