SAN JOSÉ, Calif. — October 28, 2025 — A team of Presentation High School students has earned international recognition for their creativity and compassion, winning two awards at the 2025 InventFuture Global Innovation Challenge (IFGIC) — a world competition featuring student inventors from 17 countries.

Team Dexterra Grip

Team Dexterra Grip — composed of Joana Shinners ’26, Anika Kanagala ’26, and recent graduate Tanisha Srinivasan ’25 — received both the Process Award and the Presentation Slides Award for their invention, the Dexterra Grip: a wearable glove designed to improve hand mobility and dexterity for individuals with limited motor function.

Their Innovation Journey

The team’s journey began in Project Invent, a national nonprofit program that empowers high school students to design technologies that solve real-world problems through empathy and innovation. After developing their initial prototype at Presentation, the students independently entered the InventFuture Global Innovation Challenge, an international competition hosted by InventFuture.Global (IF.G) — a nonprofit network that connects youth innovation programs and educators worldwide.

“I am so proud of Team Dexterra Grip. They faced challenges along the way but never gave up. Even after their Project Invent success, they continued refining their design, spending hours improving its look and functionality. They earned this recognition through determination, creativity, and hard work.”

Inspired by Real-World Needs

Working with a community partner who had lost hand mobility after an accident, the students sought to help restore movement and independence. Through a series of empathy interviews, they learned about his story and his hope of playing guitar again — a passion he once loved but could no longer enjoy.

In response, they developed the Dexterra Grip, a wearable glove that uses pressure sensors and motorized tendons to help users strengthen and control their grip. By combining engineering precision with compassion, the team designed a device that could help individuals with limited mobility regain function — and, in this case, the ability to make music once again.

A competition judge praised the team’s work, noting:

“The depth of your research and the way you explained complex points is highly commendable. This is a very good project worth adopting — it could truly improve the lives of people with limited mobility.”

Global Recognition

As finalists and award recipients, the Dexterra Grip team presented their project live at the Global Innovation Field Trip (GIFT) this October, joining peers from around the world to share their inventions and exchange ideas that address real human needs.

“At Presentation, we’re proud to be a place where innovation and compassion meet,” said Holly Elkins, President of Presentation High School. “In an all-girls environment, our students gain the confidence to explore bold ideas, collaborate fearlessly, and bring solutions to the world.”

About InventFuture.Global (IF.G)

InventFuture.Global (IF.G) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and international community of individuals and organizations advancing youth innovation education around the world. IF.G connects educators, mentors, and students through collaboration, shared resources, and global innovation events.

About Project Invent

Project Invent is a national nonprofit that empowers students to invent technologies that solve real-world problems and enables educators to bring transformative, empathy-driven learning experiences into their classrooms. Learn more at projectinvent.org.

About Presentation High School

Founded in 1962, Presentation High School is an independent Catholic college-preparatory school for young women in San José, California. Rooted in the charism of Nano Nagle and the Sisters of the Presentation, the school educates women of faith and intellect who are dedicated to working with others and committed to personal growth.