NAUGATUCK — Cross Street Intermediate School sixth-grader Kylie Simonds is making quite a name for herself in the innovation field.
The Board of Education recognized Simonds with an award for excellence in innovation last week.
Simonds invented the “IPack, an IV backpack for children,” which she submitted to Cross Street’s Invention Convention last year. Simonds, a cancer survivor, invented the backpack so it can carry books, an IV and a pump.
“It’s an IV for kids with cancer. Instead of having to walk around with big poles, I made a backpack with all the tubing on it,” Simonds said.
The invention not only won the school’s invention convention last year, but it also won the Patent Award at the University of Connecticut’s Invention Convention.
Simonds’ father, Mike Simonds, said she has raised $60,000 for her invention and is working with companies in Minnesota that are helping her design it for production.
Cross Street Principal Melissa Cooney said Simonds’ invention has been featured in an article on Yahoo, on the television show “The Doctors,” as well as news outlets across the world.
“We’re super proud of her,” Cooney said. “She was given the task to solve a real-world problem, which she absolutely did. It has gone viral.”
