This past year, Austin Jewish Academy 7th grader Caitlin Clairfield put her passion for science into action through her Bat Mitzvah project, Cookies for a Cause. Every Friday, Caitlin baked and delivered fresh chocolate chip cookies to her neighbors, raising funds to support AJA’s science program. Thanks to the generosity of the Steiner Ranch community, Caitlin successfully raised $1,543.36, which she proudly presented to AJA during a KabShab celebration. Her efforts not only provided essential supplies for the science curriculum but also created a legacy of giving back to the school that has nurtured her academic growth.
Caitlin’s dedication to science extended beyond her project. Alongside classmate Sidney Nisenfeld, she was awarded the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge SSP Award at the Greater Austin Regional Science and Engineering Fair. This honor qualified them as nominees for the 2024 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC), a prestigious national STEM competition for middle school students. Only the top 10% of projects nationwide are invited to apply online for the national level of this program.
Sidney and Caitlin now have the chance to be recognized as one of the Top 300 Junior Innovators (to be announced September 4) or even advance to the Top 30 finalists (to be announced September 18). Finalists will earn an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where they will compete for additional prizes and awards on the national stage.
Reflecting on her award, Caitlin shared: “It means the chance to pursue science with other top scholars in my age across the country.”
Congratulations to Caitlin and Sidney on these incredible accomplishments. We are so proud to see our AJA students shining in both community service and national science competitions!
