Oxford 8th Grader May Help Solve World Styrofoam Problem

OMS 8th grader Keerthin Karthikeyan wins 7th award for his “Styro-Carbon” Project. Photo courtesy Oxford School District.

One Oxford Middle school student may be onto something big. Eighth grader Keerthin Karithakeyan is getting national attention for his styro-carbon project.  

He’s hoping to solve a massive recycling issue for our planet — what to do about the tons of styrofoam that ends up in the world’s landfills.  

This young scientist is something special says Oxford School District Superintendent Brian Harvey.

“Keerthin’s a wonderful student, he’s been here at Oxford Middle School and we’re just excited that he’s been honored and actually on to something that is a real world problem that we have to solve,” says Harvey.

Keerthin says camping out with his Scout troop helped inspire this eco-friendly project.

“Well I’m a Boy Scout, and whenever we bring like styrofoam cups and things on campouts we will have to bring it back in with us and on hiking campouts,” says Karithakeyan.

His idea is to break down styrofoam into small carbon bits, which can then be used to filter water to make it cleaner to drink.

“Who knows where it’ll go. You know, he’s already achieved so much with it,” says Harvey.

Already a star in the Oxford community, Keerthen has been recognized for these achievements at science fairs on a larger scale.

At the State Science fair on April 5, Karthikeyan won First place in his Environmental and Earth Science Category,  the NASA Earth System Science award and “Best of Fair” award.

He’s also won an Exceptional Genius award from Genius Olympiad, a Stockholm Junior Water Prize, and the Early Inventor Prize from The Lemelson Foundation for the development of Outstanding invention.

According to the Oxford School District website, as a Genius award finalist, Karthikeyan will be presenting his project at the Genius Olympiad International Science Fair at SUNY Oswego, New York in June.

Story Contributed by: Madalyn Bierster and Carson Mckinney