BRILLIANT MINDS OF THE FUTURE
Anything will crumble without screws, a dark environment will limit us from doing things, and transportation would be totally impossible without wheels. The world was once without all these. Thanks to the curious people who invented screws, light bulbs and wheels, our lives are much better now. Getting around and doing things are now easier. Things that were once non-existent are now being used and have improved everything around us.
People usually think that in order to come up with something that has never been studied or invented, one must first finish a science-related degree. But that’s not necessarily true, and participants of the 2018 Regional Science and Technology Fair have proven that.
The Regional Science and Technology Fair is an event that the Department of Education has been organizing annually for many years now, usually before the National Science and Technology Fair (NSTF). The NSTF is scheduled on Feb. 18 to 22.
Participants have to go through different levels beginning with the school level, the district level and on to the international level.
The categories in the fair were the research competition, science innovation expo, robotics and intelligent machines, and the science intervention material. There were also activities such as the robotic games and quizzes.
There were over 600 participants from different elementary and high schools from all over the Visayas. As shown by the students’ projects, it’s very evident that at such a young age, these youngsters have so much potential.
Carl Kho, one participant from the science innovation expo category, came up with an original invention called the Dirt-E Battery. It’s basically a battery but instead of the typical chemical that makes a battery work, Carl used dirt.
When asked why he invented it, Carl said he was inspired by the viral photo of a boy doing his homework under the lamppost of a McDonald’s outlet in Mandaue City, Cebu. “I am an advocate of renewable energy and my dad advised me that when I make a project, I should make it useful to farmers and people living in the rural areas,” he said.
Another participant in the same category, Jerald Aparri, upcycled an old electric fan into a plant trimming machine.
Jerald noticed all the damaged electric fans in their school campus and realized that even if they no longer serve their purpose, they can still be used in a different way.
One area of his school is a field of long and
unkempt grass and this gave him an idea to make something out of the destroyed fans and use them to help maintain a clean environment.
With some research, he was able to turn junk into a plant trimming machine.
Some projects and studies features in the fair were reflections of the student’s life circumstances or what they are usually exposed to.
One example is Christy Fortich, who created a flood warning device. Christy said they often experience flooding in their neighborhood, so she thought of creating something that can help her community.
Christy also thought of the deaf and the visually impaired persons when she decided to create the device. It is a two-way water indicator that lights up and sets off an alarm when the water level reaches a certain point.
Almost all the projects at the fair were created to help communities or to simply make a difference. Each of the participants is fairly brilliant and very imaginative in their own way. And year after year, the fair proves that the saying “The youth is the hope of the future” is true.