As a judge volunteer myself, I got to see the Year 3/4 STEM projects up close and was amazed at some of the ideas and creativity of their projects. It was especially interesting to see how they used the application of STEM in their proposed solutions.
One project that stood out was an augmented walking stick for the blind that assisted in navigation and object detection. These Year 3/4 students had not only created a prototype but were already proposing the use of Machine Learning and AI in their augmented walking stick in a future prototype! This was especially impressive to me as both Google and Microsoft are themselves already developing technologies in this area – Google Glasses and an AI app by Microsoft. Another Year 3/4 team, as part of their project, had made a working hydraulic ramp! Yet another had made a basic working microbial fuel cell that they demonstrated on the day! It was simply inspiring to see the students learn and innovate using STEM at this year’s Game Changer Awards.
My sister also came along and volunteered with me and agreed on how amazing it was to see what these young innovators could bring to the table given the time and resources. Initially, she was a volunteer but got promoted to judge and got to see all the incredible projects made by the 5/6 year group. She was particularly impressed by one group who had designed a solution to cooling down a car on a hot day for pets or small kids. It was a fan that switched on when the interior of the car increased over a certain temperature and was demonstrated with a working model that was activated when a heat lamp turned on. The presentation by the group showed clear thought on the many facets of the problem and even had newspaper clippings on incidents where a hot car had harmed a pet.“Probably did a much better job than even some adults!” she commented. In general, she found being a judge very rewarding as she got to see what these WA kids were capable of.
In the end, supporting bright, young innovators is critical for WA’s STEM future, and the Game Changer Awards helps to do this by providing the opportunity for our next generation to step into the STEM arena and start to build a future in STEM. Volunteering at this event as a judge or otherwise is a great way to support our next STEM leaders– the next ‘Game Changers’, and so I hope to see more passionate IET volunteers get involved at next year’s Game Changer Awards!
-- Gabriel Stinton