The first winner of the SFT competition, IT School, ETI Fomento, Dili, during the award ceremony with H.E. Mr. Shin Man-taek, the Korean Ambassador to Timor-Leste
Dili, 14/06/2024 – UNDP Timor-Leste in collaboration with Samsung New Zealand’s “Solve for Tomorrow (SFT)” and the Secretary of State for Secondary Schools and Technical Vocational Schools hosted a final competition on innovation challenge in Dili.
UNDP Timor-Leste in collaboration with Samsung New Zealand’s “Solve for Tomorrow (SFT)” and the Secretary of State for Secondary Schools and Technical Vocational Schools, has been hosting the innovation challenge for secondary school students in Timor-Leste, with an official launching on November 24th, 2023. The aim of this innovation competition is to develop students’ capabilities in critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity (4Cs) so that as youth they can be better equipped to solve current social and environmental challenges at their community in Timor-Leste, as well as promoting student’s abilities to master skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Today, 7 out of 11 groups from different Secondary Schools and Technical Vocational Schools in Dili and Baucau municipality which were selected from the semi-final session will compete in the final competition on the Innovation Challenge. This program was financially supported by Samsung New Zealand. They are: 1. The GPS to detect lost items from Secondary Technical and Vocational School Dom Bosco Fatumaca; 2. A website to help students learn better at school from catholic secondary school Santa Madalena de Canossa 3. Waste management from secondary public school Baucau No.1; 4. automatic vegetable watering machine from secondary IT school ETI Fomento 5. Lixeiru haksolok from catholic secondary school Santo Inacio de Loiyola 6. Recycling paper from catholic secondary school Santo Inacio de Loiyola 7. Support students with Disability from secondary public school Finantil.
Approximately more than 500 students were reached during the preliminary period of dissemination in 13 schools in Dili and in Baucau. These schools were then invited to participate in two design thinking workshops respective in Dili and in Baucau which were delivered by the UNDP Timor-Leste Accelerator Lab team in March 2024. The design thinking workshops are intended to provide students with innovative ways of presenting project issues and solutions. The schools in Dili include public secondary Schools 4 de Setembro, public secondary school Finantil, catholic secondary schools Santa Madalena de Canosa, catholic secondary Schools Santo Inacio de Loyola Casait, catholic secondary school São Pedro Comoro, catholic technical and vocational school São Miguel Arcanjo, and secondary IT School ETI Fomento. The schools in Baucau include public secondary school no.1 Baucau, public secondary school no.2 Vila Nova Baucau, catholic secondary School Sagrado Coração de Jesus (Sacrojes), and catholic technical and vocational school Dom Bosco Fatumaca.
The schools who participated in the design thinking workshops were encouraged to submit their projects. Upon submission of the projects for the semi-final, 27 submissions in total from 7 schools and there were only about 11 groups were shortlisted. The semi-final was conducted on 10th May 2024. The panel jury for the semi-final was composed of one representative from the government ITC office Mr. Tiago Fernandes, from NGO SIMILI Mr. Billy Maly, and from the office of the Secretary of State for Secondary School and Technical Vocational School Mr. Pedro da Silva.
The Samsung SFT Innovation Challenge in Timor-Leste is an opportunity for Timorese youth to excel in their digital skills and to empower them to use innovation methods such as design thinking.
Media Contacts:
Grazela Maria Albino grazela.albino@undp.org
Julio Fernandes Pinto – julio.pinto@undp.org
Maria Lopes- Maria.lopes@undp.org
For more information about Samsung SFT Timor-Leste 2024 please check our link here.
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