Joy Akinkunmi’s science-fair project began the same way many meaningful ideas do, at home, with a real problem and a simple question: what if there was an easier way?
Now a Grade 12 student at Charles P. Allen High School in Bedford, Joy has earned major recognition for her automated medication dispenser designed for seniors with mild to moderate dementia, including a Youth Award at the 2024 Discovery Awards.
Joy first connected with Dal’s Imhotep’s Legacy Academy (ILA) in Grade 8 during the pandemic, when the program offered virtual learning sessions and sent out experiment kits for students to follow along from home.
“This was my first real introduction to a STEM space where I was surrounded by other students who looked like me and also shared my interests,” she says.
Shown left: Joy working on a design.
ILA is a Dalhousie-based STEM mentorship program that supports African Nova Scotian and Black youth through hands-on learning, tutoring, and science-fair guidance, offering access to Dal’s network of student-mentors and experts.
In Grade 9, Joy received an email about ILA’s science-fair program and decided to turn her idea into a project. At the time, her family was caring for a loved one with dementia, and medication routines were a daily stress.
“One of the most common phrases in my house was, ‘Have you given this person medication yet?’” Joy said.
One of the most common phrases in my house was, ‘Have you given this person medication yet?'
That constant worry of forgetting a dose or accidentally giving two became the foundation for her invention.
A personalized reminder
Joy describes her device as an automatic pill dispenser paired with an app that helps caregivers monitor whether medication has been taken. When it’s time for a dose, the medication dispenses onto a tray and an infrared sensor detects it, triggering an audio reminder through a speaker.
The audio isn’t just a basic alarm: Joy designed it to be customizable, so the reminder can use a familiar voice, for example, her mother’s voice, making it feel more personal and more effective for someone living with dementia.
Some 3D-printed casings used in her device.
Over time, the project became more advanced through testing, iteration, and feedback from judges in different competitions. In the earliest version, Joy’s prototype used a push-to-dispense mechanism, until one judge asked a question that shifted her approach: what if someone with dementia can’t press the button? That moment pushed Joy to develop a design that was more automated and accessible.
Strengthening her project
The support from ILA helped her strengthen the project year after year. Joy says she spent hours each week working in ILA’s maker space and engineering lab, where she learned coding from scratch and gained hands-on experience with components like microcontrollers and device screens.
“At that point, Imhotep became my second home,” she said.
Joy worked closely with Jeff Lyn, ILAs Young, Gifted and Black Science Fair Coordinator. Jeff also supported Joy through the project’s major design iterations over the years, helping her move from early prototypes to more automated versions.
As Joy’s skills grew, she became able to troubleshoot and refine her device, building confidence through that close mentorship.
Seen right: Joy, front row second from right, with members of the ILA team and others.
Jeff described ILA’s approach as student-led: encouraging young innovators to “shoot for the stars,” while supporting their dreams and connecting them to the right resources.
The program’s broader goal is to support African Nova Scotian and Black students in STEM while building skills and confidence. “Representation matters, not only for learning, but for making STEM feel possible early on,” Jeff says.
As ILA Program Director Mansita Nije puts it, “Everyone is teachable and everyone has that ability to learn.”
Next steps
Looking ahead, Joy hopes to pursue medicine after high school and is also considering biomedical engineering in the future after discovering her interest in engineering through her science- fair journey.
With ongoing support from ILA, she hopes to keep building on what she’s learned and create more innovations that make a real difference for patients and families