Bari Spielfogel, 15, of Jericho High School, recently won a second-place spot in the Duracell/National Science Teachers Association Invention Challenge. Spielfogel, a sophomore, earned a $10,000 savings bond for her invention, the Busguard.

Spielfogel is part of the Independent Research Program at Jericho High School run by Allen Sachs. "The purpose of the Independent Research Program is for students to do science," explains Sachs. "An interactive, inquiry based experience best prepares students for the future." Students, beginning in grade 10, are encouraged to participate in the Duracell competition, the Intel competition and multiple engineering contests.

Spielfogel began her work on the Duracell project at the beginning of the school year. "Brainstorming is an important first step in research," she said. "I remembered seeing a number of articles about sleeping children being left in parked school buses at the end of the day. I decided to think about inventing a device that would prevent this from happening."

The three month result of Spielfogel's work is Busguard. Children pass through an invisible beam at the door of a bus which signals a Duracell-powered counting mechanism. The bus driver flips a switch to count up as youngsters enter and count down as they leave.

Jerilyn Gusmanos, a junior, was also named a finalist for her Voice Activated Baby Mobile. Gusmanos received a $500 savings bond for her device designed to assist caregivers in entertaining a wakeful baby.

A major component of the Duracell successes is Jericho's longstanding academic collaboration with the New York Institute of Technology. Dr. Lazaros Pavlidis, professor of electrical engineering, is an extraordinary mentor who assists students with necessary research on a completely voluntary basis. Students speak very highly of their experiences and learning opportunities with Dr. Pavlidis and Mr. Sachs.