We’re thrilled to announce that Aquinas students dominated the recent Young Innovators Awards, scooping the supreme prize in the top three categories and the entire intermediate section.
Huge congratulations to our three Supreme Winners and numerous placegetters:
Senior Category:
Supreme Winner: Erin Moore (Year 13)
Her Innovation: Kaitiaki Tech – an App that locates places to safely recycle old technology through incentivisation while educating users on the importance of protecting the environment.
Junior Category:
Supreme winner: Mia Lowe and Elia Szulakowski (both Year 10)
Their Innovation: Sun Spotter – an electronic device that works alongside an App to help and prevent sun-caused skin cancer and the damaging causes of UV rays.
Second Place: Hannah Anderson and Kiana Schoeser (both Year 9)
Their Innovation: Re-Boot – a new and improved moon boot designed for recycling and reusing. This also won the competition’s Product Innovation Award.
Intermediate Category:
Supreme winner: Elliot Olsen (Year 8) who also won the competition’s People’s Choice Award
Her Innovation: The Clean Guard- a convenient and portable way to clean your Clean Guard mouthguard.
Second Place: Zachary de Graaf (Year 7)
His Innovation: Micro Extract – an invention to filter microplastics from bodies of water.
Third Place: Ava Gardner and Catherine Jung (both Year 7)
Their Innovation: Practice Perfect Music Stand – a transferable, moveable, portable music stand.
Other Notable Awards:
Research Award: Lachlan Talbot (Year 9)
His Innovation: Orca – a device that sends a message (via a special text alarm) to a designated mobile phone/s.
Congratulations to the following students who also made it through to the final judging round: Annie Sowerby (Year 11) for her PlanIT idea, and Year 10s Alba Richardson and Jenna Arrowsmith for their Community Connections proposal.
(Videos explaining each project can be viewed at: https://www.yia.co.nz/2024-finalists)
The judging panel of local and regional business owners deemed that more than half of Aquinas’ 13 finalists were outstanding, a phenomenal result.
Erin Moore
Erin has entered the awards every year since she was in Year 7 and encourages others to get involved because it opens up so many opportunities.
It’s about pushing yourself, meeting new people and investigating your ideas. You never know where they might take you, and this is such a great programme to explore that.”
She said her App aims to ensure less technology goes to landfill and more is recycled.
Priority One Young Innovator Awards Project Manager Meg Davis said the project was an “absolute standout” in its creative thinking and proposed solution to a problem.
The night’s awards celebrated 77 finalists, selected from 128 entries, from seven different schools across the Western Bay of Plenty.
The 2024 yia! challenged students to craft real-world solutions to problems that are important to them. Our 13 finalists were invited to a workshop at the University of Waikato last month to help develop their entrepreneurial talents.
