Five Greensprings School students win British International STEM competition

Five students of the Greensprings School have emerged winners of the 2021 British International Education Association (BIEA) STEM competition.

The winners are Ayomide Hector-Olukoya, Mayomikun Soneye, Anjola Obasunloye, Damilola Adeosun and Seni Honponu-wusu.

At the finals of the competition, the school’s STEM team outperformed 43 other schools from 16 countries by designing a sustainable food packaging material meant to replace plastic packaging materials, which are not biodegradable.

On the students’ project, Lanre Oguntoye, one of the school’s STEM coaches said Greensprings’ STEM team proposed the use of modern technology to devise new and sustainable ways of packaging food to reduce the amount of plastic waste produced.

According to him, the theme of BIEA 2021 International Youth STEM Innovation Competition, ‘Repack to Restore Our World,’ enabled the students to propose a solution that centered on the use of coconut shells as a sustainable approach to repackaging food.

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“The students gave impressive presentations to the BIEA STEM judges and provided insightful answers to their technical questions. At the end of the finals, they were adjudged the winner of the competition,” Oguntoye said.

Magdalene Okrikri, principal, Greensprings Secondary School, Anthony campus, said that the award is another attestation that the school is raising global problem solvers.

“I am highly impressed that our students won this award. It was amazing how they engaged with the theme and employed their STEM skills to achieve the intended objectives,” she said.

Okrikri said the idea was quite innovative, and the students communicated their idea very well, adding that the students also answered all the questions from the judges with clarity and precision.

“This performance further strengthens the rationale for putting thinking skills at the heart of our curriculum, as it’s really helping the students to become global problem solvers,” she said.

For emerging winners of the competition, all members of the Greensprings STEM team have now been accepted into BIEA STEM Stars, an accreditation programme providing an opportunity for students to show schools, universities and future employers their passion for STEM subjects.

The BIEA International Youth STEM Innovation Competition aims to bring together educators and young people from around the world, who share a passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).