FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Peyton Robertson is a scientist.
At 11, he won the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. By 12 he was meeting with President Barack Obama about who raised him for his invention of a sand-less sandbag.
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Now 14-years-old, Peyton has been awarded three patents and has added philanthropist to his resume.
Peyton's foundation, the Multiplied Foundation Fund of the Community Foundation of Broward gave a grant of $5,000 to provide full scholarships worth over $10,000 for 20 students to enroll in the Institute For Mathematics and Computer Science IMACS' 2016 Hi-Tech Summer Camp.
"The early skills I developed at IMACS helped me to have a deeper understanding of the math and computer sciences classes that I have taken in school. My hope is that other students will benefit from the foundation that the IMACS program can provide," Peyton, a Fort Lauderdale resident, who is an IMACS student, said in a media release.
The Multiplied Foundation has the mission of supporting and expanding science, engineering and math education.
Recipients were selected from applicants at Piney Grove Boys Academy in Lauderdale Lakes and the "I Have A Dream" Foundation in Miami.
Camp scholarships were awarded to students in the fourth through ninth grade who want to learn more about STEM programs, but who would otherwise not have the resources to attend.
"IMACS is honored to be working with the Multiplied Foundation to provide scholarships to 20 very deserving students," IMACS president Terry Kaufman said in a media release. "Bright and curious minds come from all backgrounds, and we all need to do more to identify and nurture these kids. We thank the Community Foundation of Broward for making this opportunity possible."
One of the recipients of the award, James Wilson, III, said he is excited to attend the camp.
"Every day, we get to do a cool project and learn something new. I can't wait for tomorrow," James, a fifth grader at Piney Grove Boys Academy, said in a media release.
His mom, Melissa Mata, is just as excited.
"It's great to see my son, who is very athletic and into sports, also be so intrigued and interested in technology thanks to his time with the program," she said in a media release. "The exposure he's getting at IMACS is definitely priceless."