Future Leaders recognizes innovative STEM work across Colorado

For six years, CBS Colorado and it's partners, PDC Energy and Colorado School of Mines, have honored high school students who excel in science, technology, engineering, and math, STEM.

In that six years, CBS News Colorado profiled some pretty amazing students. Just this last year, Aditi Avinash won not only Future Leaders, but also a national award for the work she's doing in celiac disease.  A crew traveled to Campo, Colorado to meet with Milo Lovejoy who constantly challenges himself and is leading a project that will turn an old school bus into an hydroponic farm. First Alert Meteorologist Lauren Whitney talked to Connor Harte who took on a project to 3D print new braille signs for all the classrooms at his high school. Bryce Hunter works with a Denver Elementary school to teach the students coding. Amber Ganger is learning aviation in the Civil Air Patrol. Trevor Venable is learning how to be an ethical hacker.

LINK: Future Leaders Profile Stories

Future Leaders is an important initiative for CBS Colorado.

"We want to recognize the amazing work that's being done. And PDC Energy and the Colorado School of Mines are our partners, so they wanted to help recognize and give some money to these kids," Whitney said on First at Four.

The Future Leaders Award comes with $1,000 and a profile on CBS News Colorado. High school students who excel in STEM are eligible.

"It's all across the state. You don't have to live in Denver. We'll find a way to get to you or we'll zoom you to get your profile done. We really want to make sure that we're focusing on the kids across the state who are doing really incredible things," Whitney explained.

Whitney has worked on the Future Leaders project since it's inception. Over the years, she's found many of the students stories incredibly inspiring.

"They're going beyond the curriculum. They're doing really incredible things and some kids are doing things that improve their lives, their friends lives because they see problems that need answers," Whitney said.

LINK: Nominate A Student for Future Leaders

CBS Colorado is accepting nominations on the Future Leaders section of CBSColorado.com. Nominations can come from teachers, parents, or even the student themselves.