CVUSD Students Lead the Way in Agricultural Research Competition

Congratulations to Jayden H. for earning first place and Nandhitha B. for earning third place in the SEEAG Fields of Innovation in Agriculture Research Competition. Jayden is a 10th grade student at The Center for Advanced Studies and Research at Thousand Oaks High School, and Nandhitha is an 11th grade student at Westlake High School.  

Through a six week online course, both Jayden and Nandhitha, along with more than twenty high school students from the Ventura County area participated in this fully extracurricular, first annual research competition, developing original projects centered on the theme of water in agriculture. By completing a series of online modules, students conducted in depth research, connected with industry professionals, and proposed creative solutions to real world water related challenges.

The competition’s final showcase took place on Saturday May 2nd at California State University Channel Islands, where students presented their research, connected with industry professionals and competed for scholarship awards. 

Jayden earned first place and a $2,000 scholarship in the competition with his research, “Cover Crops vs. Santa Anas: Mitigating Extreme Evapotranspiration". His solution was to genetically modify cover crops to serve as natural barriers against plant desiccation induced by Santa Ana Winds. Jayden extends his thanks and appreciation to the Center Program, and his teachers Mr. Harr, Ms. Beaudoin and Ms. Frohn for their support and guidance.

Nandhitha earned third place and a $500 scholarship in the competition with her research, “"Mechanized Ollas" (clay pots) to reduce water waste and to reduce the overuse of groundwater in agriculture. She is currently part of the Environmental Emphasis of the WHS Career Emphasis Program, previously completed AP Environmental Science and next year will be enrolled in the Honors Environmental Field Studies class at Westlake High School.

This event provided a meaningful opportunity for students to showcase their hard work, build confidence in public speaking, and connect classroom learning to real-world applications in agriculture and STEM.

Congratulations to Jayden and Nandhitha on their impressive research and well-deserved achievement in this first annual competition!

More About Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG)
At Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) we believe that every student and person deserves the opportunity to understand where their food comes from, how it is grown, and how farming impacts our health, communities, and environment. Since 2008, SEEAG has provided 100% free, hands-on agricultural education to tens of thousands of students and families throughout Ventura, Santa Barbara, and surrounding counties.

Our programs help open the doors of working farms, bring classroom learning to life outdoors, and help students and community members make meaningful connections between soil, water, plants, food systems, and personal well-being.