SSTS 1st quarter april june 2014 newsletter

SSTS X@axãá _xààxÜ

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volume 5, Issue 1 April-June 2014

volume 5, Issue 1 April- June 2014

Nestle Jamaica Collaborates with the SRC to HostCompetitions

In this issue Nestle/ SRC collab

Young Inventors/Innovators Competition 2014

T

he Scientific Research Council in collaboration with Nestle Jamaica Limited this year embarked on three competitions: Mother’s Day Essay Poster and Poetry Competition, Essay and Oratory Competition and Sweet Delights Competition. The collaboration saw some of SRC’s usual competitions taking on a new spin engaging students’ creatively in the Science of Nutrition.

MOTHERS DAY ESSAY, POSTER AND POETRY COMPETITON

The Mother’s Day Essay Poster and Poetry Competition under the themes “Eating breakfast is important to my health and learning” and “Nestle Milk is full of goodness like you are full of love”, was geared towards primary school students from ages 7 to 12.

Where are they now feature- John Powell

www.facebook.com/ssts.src

Winner of the Essay category of the Essay, Poster & Poetry Competition, Matthew Leigh delivering the vote of thanks at the Competition Awards Ceremony.

Winning Entries from the Poster Competition.

The competition this year also saw for the first time, entries from a special needs school, The Jamaica Society for Children with Learning Disabilities.

The competition saw Sts. Peter and Paul Prep grabbing first prize in the Essay @ssts_src Category, Stella Maris in the poster and poetry categories.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION YOU MAY CONTACT THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION UNIT: 1 Telephone: (876) 927-1771-4 Fax: (876) 927-0806 Email: ssts.src@gmail.com Editor: Ms. Felicia Bailey

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volume 5, Issue 1 April-June 2014

ESSAY AND ORATORY COMPETITON The annual Oratory Competition put on by the Council was rebranded to be an Essay and Oratory Competition. A total of 13 essays were received from high schools across the island for prejudging.

The entrants wrote on the topic “Eating breakfast is important to my health and learning” and the students with the top 6 scoring essays were invited to participate in the oratory component which was held at the Scientific Research Council.

Gabrielle Clarke of St. Georges College present her speech at the Oratory Final.

Winner of the Essay and Oratory Competition Curtis Moxam of Mannings School accepts his trophy from Corporate Communications & cRM Manager of Nestlé Jamaica Ltd.,Shawna Kidd.

SWEET DELIGHTS COMPETITON The Sweet Delights Competition came as a special request by Nestle to hold a competition with a focus on breakfast preparation. This year was the first time the Council embarked on a competition of this nature. The competition saw teams of no more than four students from grades 7 to 9 submitting entries in 3 categories: cakes and pies, smoothies and porridges. The entries were screened first through videos sent in by the teams and the finals of the competition was held where 5 teams prepared cakes or pies, 8 teams prepared smoothies and 6 teams prepared porridges.

The students were very original in the creation of their recipes and the presentation of the entries.

One great outcome of this particular competition was the opportunity to network with Food and Nutrition teachers across the island who are often a forgotten part of the network of Science teachers. Muchette High was crowned top school after winning first place in two of the three categories.

Some of the smoothies prepared by teams.

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Overall winners of the Sweet Delights Competition Muchette High preparing one of their winning entries.

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volume 5, Issue 1 April-June 2014

SRC’S YOUNG INVENTORS/INNOVATORS COMPETITION 2014

The SRC’s Young Inventors/Innovators Competition highlights the creations of brilliant young minds as various schools showcase their innovations/inventions with potential for positive impact on our society.

Members of the winning team from Steer Town Primary and their mentors pose with their entry in the 10-14 category, the automated mobile garden.

The competition encourages participants to solve everyday problems through innovation and invention. This year schools across Jamaica were invited to demonstrate the physical manifestation of their ideas as it relates to Food Security and Praedial Larceny. They competed against each other in two categories: Food Security/Production (entrants ages 10-14years old) and Using Technology to Prevent Praedial Larceny (entrants ages 15- 19 years).

The demonstrations were mind-blowing ranging from highly technical to the most obvious solutions.

Now for the benefit of those who did not get to see this exceptional talent on display here is a condensed list of what you missed.

A total of twelve schools were represented who showcased technologies under various labels, namely: • Ani-Bar from the Willodene Group of Schools – A humane branding method for livestock which is a barcode system; if animals are stolen once the brand is scanned; information on owner, sex of animal, age, type, colour and ID number is revealed. This system is also connected to an alarm system.

• Automated Mobile Farm from Steer Town Academy - A pyramid shaped stock of planters in which crops are planted. The farm is mobile, can fit in the tiniest of spaces and comes fully equipped with its own solar powered and irrigation system.

• PDL Alert System from Waterford High - An underground Praedial Larceny attack system that is activated by pressure on the farm. This system is connected to a camera that feeds information

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volume 5, Issue 1 April-June 2014

to the farmer when an intruder accesses his farm.

• Flyzz Away Organic Pesticide from Beulah all-age - An environmentally-friendly pesticide created from the Neem plant that is safe for use on plants and for consumption;

• Tinking Toe the way to go from Kilsyth Primary and Infant school – This innovation highlights the versatility of the ‘Tinkling Toe’ which makes a more effective charcoal than regular wood and can be used for other creations which includes but is not limited to energy drink and jewellery making.

• Spy Cam 316 MOK and Praedal larceny Laser Security System from Half- Way- Tree Primary– A system that is designed around a tiny helicopter with a built in camera system that is used specifically to filter information from farm to owner, this is also connected to a laser beam system that when activated sets off an alarm which alerts the farmer.

• Vermi Compost Organic and Anti- Fungal teabag from Vere Technical High - A compost system in which earthworms are the main activators. The system consists of a box in which organic household scraps are discarded which are then converted to highly nutritious fertilizer over a period of time by worms. This innovation is also accompanied by an antifungal natural teabag to get rid of insects affecting plants and organic nursery dumplins which is special designed with reforestation in mind. The nursery dumplins contains seeds of plants that are placed in an organic fertilizer ball, which are then thrown in deforested areas that are not easily accessed. The nursery dumplins contains enough nutrients that are necessary to support the growth of a plant.

• Extending the Shelf Life of Fruits and Vegetables from Seaview Gardens Primary – A method of preserving the life and nutrient content of foods using solar energy.

• Food Security through Green Nutrigation Tank from Sunderland Primary – This innovation features a tank in which healthy, safe and nutritious foods are grown.

Steer Town Academy from the 15-19 category and Vere technical from the 10-14 category walked away winners from this competition. Waterford High and Beulah all-Age were close seconds to the winners in both categories. Winners received Android Powered Tablets. In addition to this, the winning team from the 15-19 category will go on this year to represent Jamaica and compete in the Caribbean Youth Science Forum held in Trinidad and Tobago, summer 2014.

The Young Inventors / Innovators Competition is the brainchild of the Scientific Research Council and is executed through the Council’s Science & Technology Education Unit. This year marked the third staging of the competition since its introduction in 2008. According to the SRC, “this project seeks to provide a forum through which young men and women at the upper primary and secondary school level, i.e. age 10 to 19, can exhibit their ideas and knowledge, placing value on indigenous talent and encouraging the highest of standards in the fields of science, technology and Innovation.”

This competition brings together all the various fields in science and technology, the applicability of these ideas and creations can be utilized to effect improvements in all areas of development. The benefits are countless and can provide real incentives and benefits for those within academic, commercial, political and social circles. By developing domestic “knowledge industries” and encouraging young people to develop their intellectual capabilities through competition, the nation can redefine itself to attract greater investment and secure a more predictable and stable future for

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volume 4, Issue 3 January– March 2014

its people.

The Caribbean Regional Policy Framework for Action states that Governments should “Encourage the inculcation of cultural values and altitudes that create a positive climate for innovation, including openness to competition and risk-taking”. This project is therefore in line with the policy direction.

The SRC hopes to make this competition an annual event that delivers meaningful awards to outstanding youth projects.

Samples of Beulah All Age's second place entry, 'Flyzzz Away!'Organic pesticide.

Willowdene Group of Schools demonstrate to onlookers how their third place entry 'Ani-bar' works.

Second placewinners in the 10-14 category Seview Gardens Primary.

Display from first place winners in the 10-14 category St. Jago High.

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Where are they now? volume 5, Issue 1 April-June 2014

This quarter we feature John Powell, Monroe College past student and Prime Minister’s Youth Awardee.

Q A

Which SRC Competitions or activities did you take part in?

Q A

I took part in the 2012 SRC Oratorical Competition and then was selected to be apart of the Jamaican delegation to the Caribbean Youth Science Forum (CYSF) 2012 in Trinidad and Tobago.

Do you believe your participation had any influence on your grasp and appreciation for Science?

It gave me a deeper and greater understand of the sciences. Furthermore, I am now more appreciative of the power that science has (literally) to make this world a better place. The trip to Trinidad was eye-opening for me. I admire the emphasis that they have been placing on natural gases, etc , and the fact that they are so committed to have the youths involved. This, coupled with the awesome job that the SRC has been doing in these areas, makes me confident that the Caribbean is going in the right direction. I optimistically look forward to seeing what the next few years has in store for scientific innovations and advancements particularly in Jamaica.

Q A

Give a synopsis of you academic and proffessional life since high school......

Well, after leaving sixth form at Hampton School-Munro College, I received the prestigious Stamps Leadership Scholarship to attend Barry University, Florida. At Barry, I am currently reading for a Bachelor of Arts degree in the areas of International Studies and French. I have been greatly involved in volunteering with various organizations in the Greater Miami area, and I have also been the President of the Barry University Model United Nations Club. This was greatly inspired by my success in the oratorical competition. I continue to give a number of speeches all over Florida regarding the Environmental Sustainability, and Global Issues such as Narco- Terrorism and Climate Change.

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volume 5, Issue 1 April-June 2014

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