Meet Ishanvi Sakharpe: Class 6 Student Using Science to Help Protect Dolphins

New Delhi | September 3, 2026: A school science project has taken Virginia sixth-grader Ishanvi Sakharpe beyond the classroom and into the world of marine conservation. Her project, Dolphin Guard, has earned her the distinction of being named a 2026 Virginia State Merit Winner in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge.

The project explores how science and problem-solving can help address risks faced by dolphins as they share ocean spaces with humans. Sakharpe, a student at Old Donation School in Virginia Beach, has focused her work on the challenge of making marine environments safer for dolphins amid increasing human activity.

WHEN SCIENCE MEETS A REAL-WORLD PROBLEM

Dolphins live in oceans where they encounter boats, fishing activities and other forms of human movement. Such interactions can sometimes create risks for marine animals.

This is where Dolphin Guard comes in. Sakharpe’s project aims to address potentially harmful encounters between dolphins and human activity in marine environments.

At the heart of her project is a simple but important question: Can science help identify and reduce dangers to wildlife before they become serious problems?

That approach gives the project a purpose that extends beyond a typical school experiment. It demonstrates how young students can use scientific thinking to explore problems that affect the world around them.

FROM CLASSROOM CURIOSITY TO NATIONAL RECOGNITION

Sakharpe’s achievement came through the 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a national competition in the United States for middle-school students.

According to Young Scientist Lab, participants submit short videos explaining an invention or solution designed to tackle an everyday problem affecting individuals, communities or society.

Projects are evaluated on areas including creativity, scientific knowledge, communication, persuasiveness and overall presentation. The 2026 competition opened in January, with State Merit Winners announced in June.

Being selected as Virginia’s State Merit Winner places Sakharpe’s Dolphin Guard among the projects recognised through this year’s competition.

A TALENT FOR SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

Sakharpe’s interest in solving problems extends beyond environmental science. She has also earned recognition in mathematics competitions.

Math Kangaroo records show that she has participated in competitions over several years. In 2025, she was part of The Kangaroo Pi-oneers, an Old Donation School team that won the Grade 6 national gold medal in the Math Kangaroo Team Competition.

She has also appeared in national and state-level Math Kangaroo results as an individual competitor.

Her achievements in both mathematics and science highlight a common strength: logical thinking, curiosity and the ability to approach problems from different angles.

PUTTING SCIENCE TO WORK FOR WILDLIFE

With Dolphin Guard, those skills have been directed towards a very different kind of challenge — protecting dolphins and exploring how technology and science can help humans coexist more safely with wildlife.

What makes Sakharpe’s project particularly inspiring is the journey behind it. It began with a school student looking at a real-world problem and asking what she could do about it through science.

Dolphin Guard is a reminder that meaningful scientific ideas do not always begin in laboratories. Sometimes, they begin in classrooms, with a young student who is curious enough to ask a simple question — and determined enough to search for an answer.