SCI – TECH CHALLENGE PROGRAMME: Pupils in contact with a career in STEM fields
Junior Achievement Cyprus and ExxonMobil Cyprus are delighted to announce the continuation of their collaboration for the sixth year of implementation of the Sci-Tech Challenge programme. The programme is a collaboration between JA Europe and ExxonMobil which has been running for 17 years with the participation of more than 62,000 students from all over Europe.
The goals of the Sci-Tech programme are to inspire students to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses at higher education level and to enable them to understand the wide variety of careers they can pursue through STEM education while also utilizing their talents. It is a fact that the number of students studying these subjects is decreasing both internationally and in Cyprus, while the projected number of jobs in the sector is increasing.
The programme is being implemented this year for the fifth time in Cyprus in 10 schools, bringing about 330 students face to face with the real challenges faced by the world and our environment. ExxonMobil’s volunteer mentors play a key role in the programme, as classroom visits serve as role models for a career in STEM while introducing students to major energy challenges.
The winner was the THE SPAGHETS team with the clever idea of a company that combines an application that incentivizes recycling and educates citizens with an artificial intelligence system for effective separation of plastics by polymer type.
A big thumbs up to the members of the team, Christos Fylaktou, Samantha Cummings, Konstantina Hope Loizou, Elena Zouvani and Ofer Shefi, along with their dedicated teacher, Flourentzo Parpounas.
The winning team from Xenion High School, which was named “Best STEM School in Cyprus” will represent Cyprus in the Pan-European Sci-Tech Challenge Competition organized by ExxonMobil Europe and Junior Achievement Europe, and will take place in April in Brussels, claiming the title of “Best STEM School in Europe”.
The students were asked to develop a sustainable and affordable business solution to achieve the plastic recycling goal (by 2030, 35% of packaging materials to be recyclable).
The second place was taken by THE GREENER WAY team from The Grammar School Nicosia, which recommended the reduction of non-recyclable or mixed plastics and the increase of recyclable packaging through the use of materials such as D2W plastics, which are both biodegradable and recyclable, with no obvious changes for consumers, but with significant benefit for the environment. The team consisted of Marilia Drakou, Nikolas Sieittanis, Damianos Pavlidis, Sofia Irakleous and Iris Thrassou, with their teacher Katiana Kyriakou.
The third place was taken by the PLASTIC WARRIORS from Kykkos B Lyceum, who presented a proposal to reduce non-recyclable or mixed plastics and increase recyclable packaging through the use of materials such as D2W plastics, which are both biodegradable and recyclable, without obvious changes for consumers, but with significant benefit for the environment. Congratulations to Fani Lizidi, Konstantina Liggi, Andreana Ioannidou, Emmelia Eleni Sioni and Christina Rafaella Michael, as well as their teacher, Kypros Loizides.
For more information you can visit www.jacyprus.org/sci-tech or contact info@jacyprus.org.
