Long Beach Middle Schoolers Recognized For Innovative “SeroScanner” Project

LONG BEACH, NY — Four sixth graders from Long Beach Middle School are making names for themselves in the world of science this week, as they were named regional champions in the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision competition, a STEM contest that takes thousands of entries from the United States and Canada.

For Caylee Donaghy, Rowan McLaughlin, Grayson Eichin and Jackson Ferraro, the honor put their team among just 24 teams from across the country, an achievement district officials said places them “among the nation’s top young innovators.”

The students conceptualized a customizable brain-monitoring bracelet known as the “SeroScanner,” which keeps track of chemicals like serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, potentially adjusting them if they fall out of balance. The goal, district officials said, is to support individuals with mental health issues with a refillable, wearable tool .

“This is a tremendous achievement for our students and our school,” Long Beach teacher and advisor Walter Kramme said. “Their hard work, imagination, and collaboration truly helped get them to this stage of the competition.”

The SeroScanner was presented at an assembly Monday, where the students received their regional championship honor in front of classmates, parents and Toshiba representatives. The journey for Long Beach’s inventors isn’t over, either: They’ve advanced to the national round of Toshiba’s competition, where they could be crowned national champions.