March 21, 2026 | Woodbury, Minnesota
On March 21, 2026, East Ridge High School hosted its STEM Research Symposium, bringing together student researchers, educators, university faculty, and industry professionals for a day of learning, collaboration, and innovation. As a founding member of the symposium, Earth on Us founder Daniel served as the Student Chair for the 2025–26 symposium, the first student-led STEM Research Symposium in the program’s history.
Daniel led planning meetings, speaker recruitment, outreach, program development, event logistics, and also served as the event host and emcee. Under his student leadership, the symposium expanded from a single-district event in South Washington County to include participation from six Twin Cities metro districts (South Washington, Edina, Minnetonka, Wayzata, Anoka-Hennepin, and Stillwater) as well as two independent schools, The Blake School and St. Paul Academy.
The symposium featured two student presentation sessions, with featured student speakers increasing from 2 to 9. Student presenters represented regional, state, national, and international science and engineering fair competitions, sharing research across environmental science, artificial intelligence, robotics, mathematics, biology, engineering, and mental wellness. The event also included professional breakout sessions led by industry and academic experts, giving students the opportunity to learn how STEM is used to solve real-world problems.
Daniel was also one of the student presenters, sharing his research project, “Public Water Systems, PFAS Exposure, and Community Cognitive Risks: An Ecological Cross-Sectional Study.” His project explored the relationship between PFAS contamination in public drinking water and community cognitive disability using publicly available environmental and health datasets. Through this work, Daniel showed how student research can use data, science, and public health questions to investigate tough environmental challenges.
For Daniel, the symposium reflected a broader vision shared by Earth on Us. Earth on Us encourages people to take simple, everyday environmental actions, such as recycling correctly, conserving energy, and reducing waste. But Daniel also hopes to inspire students to go further: to take initiative, explore technology and innovation, develop solutions, and tackle difficult environmental problems in their own communities. His PFAS research is one example of how young people can move beyond awareness and contribute meaningfully to real-world environmental challenges.
The 2026 STEM Research Symposium created a space where student researchers could present their work, ask questions, learn from professionals, and connect with peers who share their curiosity. By facilitating engagement among students, educators, university faculty, and industry professionals, the event encouraged young people to see themselves not only as learners, but also as researchers, innovators, and problem-solvers.
Daniel extends sincere appreciation to Dr. Emily Larsen for her mentorship, encouragement, and support throughout the planning of the symposium, and also thanks the dedicated student planning committee and vice chairs, Bersy and Madi, for their leadership, teamwork, and commitment. We are grateful to all of the student presenters and professional speakers who shared their research, expertise, and time to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, innovators, and community leaders.
The 2026 STEM Research Symposium demonstrated what is possible when students are empowered to lead, collaborate, and pursue their curiosity. Earth on Us is proud to celebrate this event and remains committed to supporting young people as they turn everyday environmental awareness into action, research, innovation, and meaningful solutions. ♻️??
