Department Resources

Shark Tank Tech Challenge

Are you ready to chart new waters of creativity, innovation and impact?

Students from across the Fairfax County area are challenged to develop an innovative device or app that will have a positive impact in the lives of older adults, adults with disabilities, or caregivers. The event challenges students to develop innovative technological solutions that can help people live independently and make the world more user-friendly.

The challenge program is open to all students in Fairfax County, Fairfax City and the City of Falls Church. Winning projects are awarded prizes and may be considered for potential development.

2027 Information Packet for Students and Teachers

Key Dates

Friday, December 20, 2026 — Initial Project Proposal Form Submission Deadline
- The Initial Project Proposal Form (found in the Information Packet) requires a basic project overview and does not require the project be completed. Email to NCSTechChallenge@fairfaxcounty.gov. Feedback on the proposal will be emailed by Monday, January 11, 2027.
Wednesday, February 24, 2027 — Final Project Submission Form Deadline
- The Final Project Submission Form (found in the Information Packet) assumes that the project has been completed and tested at time of submission. Email the completed Final Project Submission to: NCSTechChallenge@fairfaxcounty.gov.

First Place

Sage4Health – Meghana Nannapaneni, Chantilly High School

Sage4Health is dedicated to promoting cognitive wellness and reducing social isolation among seniors. It aims to empower seniors to confidently manage their cognitive and emotional wellness while simultaneously alleviating caregiver burden and fostering greater social connection.

Second Place

Memory Wall – Audrey Wang, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, and Marcus Wang, McLean High School

Third Place

N1 Glasses – Logan Lee, Mayu Zuniga and Lucas Shen, Woodson High School.

Honorable Mention

First Honorable Mention: Silver Glide – Jacob Colon, Kalab Getachew, Natanim Getachew, Elijah Greene, Caleb St. John and Chloe Roberts (Accelus Academy), Reston Community Center/South Lakes High School
Second Honorable Mention: Sunny Talk – Jason Wu, Langley High School
Third Honorable Mention: Empowerment Hub – Sahas Rajeshirke, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

Watch the 2026 Innovators' Presentations

2026 Recognition Ceremony

First Place

Rapidx - Varsha Ayala, Eesha Viswanathan from The Madeira School

Second Place

Artisin - Alan Wang from McLean High School

Third Place

Gaitway - Jasmine Ma from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology; Jaiden Saran, Sophie Zhang from McLean High School

Honorable Mention

BlindSight - Kriesh Tivare from Langley High School
Branch Out - Chethna Ganesh, Kamya Raman, Sreeya Sangaraju from Centreville High School
CHAT - Aryan Rathour from McLean High School; Chenxi Xu from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology; Sean Miles from Herndon High School

Judges

Amanda Smedley
Ramin Ghodoumipour
Rolando Muradez
Tiffany O’Neal
Pete Lamont

2025 Recognition Ceremony

1st Place: ScamCops - Advik Atyam, David Nam, Nathan Kim, and Yousif Al Atbi from Fairfax High School
2nd Place: Odyssey - Mayu Zuniga and Logan Lee from Woodson High School
3rd Place: Gaitway - Jasmine Ma, Jaiden Saran, and Sophie Zhang from McLean High School and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Honorable Mentions:
- DiaBuddy - Rujvi Thakkar and Dhaya Kumaresan from Langley High School
- Empowerment Hub - Soham Rajeshirke and Sahas Rajeshirke from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Judges - Korey Singleton, George Mason University; Amanda Smedley, ServiceSource; Pete Lamont, INTEGRITYOne Partners; and David Hibbitts, AARP

Watch the 2023-24 Students Demonstrate Their Shark Tank Ideas to the Judges

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Neighborhood and Community Services

Alert:

Department Resources

Shark Tank Tech Challenge

Key Dates

Friday, December 20, 2026 — Initial Project Proposal Form Submission Deadline

Wednesday, February 24, 2027 — Final Project Submission Form Deadline

2027 Information Packet for Students and Teachers