Brooke Martin’s golden retriever Kayla hated being left alone, and Martin, now 13, wanted to help her. She wondered: “What if you could talk to your dog if you were gone?” and “What if you were able to give them a treat while you were away?”

Then the answer came to her: video chat and dog treats dispensed remotely.
Her invention, called iCUpooch, has earned her a spot competing against nine other finalists in a young scientist competition for middle-school students. These finalists, selected based on their short video presentations, are collaborating with mentors over the summer before heading to the final competition in St. Paul, Minn.