Ebène, 14 August 2023: InnovEd 2023 culminated on Thursday 10 August with the Artificial Intelligence and Award Ceremony during which the best projects in six different themes were announced.
The event which was held on an entirely virtual setting was attended by students from more than 30 secondary schools. The topics covered this year included Virtual Reality, Healthy Lifestyle, Waste Management, Blue Economy, Inclusive Education, AgriTech and FinTech. Projects were crafted under the themes: Interactive Media, Cultural Heritage, Design, Languages & Publishing, Visual Arts & Crafts and Performing Arts. For the current edition, 68 projects were presented by teams from 35 different secondary schools.
The best projects under each theme were as follows:
CULTURAL HERITAGE
WINNER: Triolet SSS (Title of project: Touch Map)
RUNNER UP: Muslim Girls College (Title of project: Nu Ti Boite Manze)
LANGUAGES AND PUBLISHING
WINNER: Triolet State Secondary School (Title of project: Fitness Cube)
RUNNER UP: France Boyer de la Giroday SSS (Title of project: Curbing visual inequalities in education)
PERFORMING ARTS
WINNER: Rabindranath Tagore Secondary School (Title of project: An Overview of Kathak and Bharata Natyam Classical Dance)
RUNNER UP: Sir Leckraz Teelock SSS (Title of project: Nou Leritaz)
INTERACTIVE MEDIA
WINNER: Knowledge Based Training Centre (Title of project: RoadSafeVR: VR Simulations for Alcohol Awareness for Mauritian Youth)
RUNNER UP: Polytechnics Mauritius Ltd (Title of project: Edu Quest)
VISUAL ARTS AND CRAFTS
WINNER: Polytechnics Mauritius Ltd (Title of project: Abyss)
RUNNER UP: Doha Secondary SSS (Title of project: InnovBags)
DESIGN
WINNER: Le Bocage International School (Title of project: Project Zero Waste Zone)
RUNNER UP: Doha Secondary School (Title of project: Making gummy supplements using algae)
The winning and runner up teams received a cash prize of Rs 20,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively.
The Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Honorable Mrs. Leela Devi Dookhun-Luchoomun, in an online speech, exhorted students to bring value to whatever they undertake and stressed on the importance of team work and collective learning experience. “You will agree with me that if one embarks on an enterprise that ultimately brings or adds no value, there is absolutely no reason to engage in it. I would specially highlight the other skills that stress on the significance of teamwork. I guess we all know the benefits that arise from working in teams: mutual support and reinforcement, extra motivation and increase in personal engagement. We all know, as individuals, we can go faster, but in a team, we can certainly go further. Believe me, this forms the very basis of work in the present times. Today the moment is collective. I would strongly suggest you hang on to all the positives that have arisen from your participation in the InnovEd project. We have come to a point in our education process where we cannot operate as self-centered learners. It is definitely more gainful for you to actively engage in a collective manner in your studies”, she pointed out.
The Minister of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives, Honorable Soomilduth Bholah, explained that the evolving global market compels Mauritius to adapt and thrive in a competitive environment. “Our traditional industries have to embrace new challenges. At the same time, we have to explore opportunities presented by emerging sectors. Innovation and creativity should not be viewed only as buzzwords. Because they are the driving force of diversification and economic resilience. This is why we encourage our youth to be curious… to think differently and to continuously seek innovation solutions to problems,” he underscored.
“The InnovEd project initiated and championed by the NPCC, stands as a pillar for our education system. Its mission is clear: to promote and instill creative, critical, and innovative thinking among students, empowering them to become the architects of their own destiny. By fostering a culture of creativity in schools, InnovEd equips our young students with the vital skills and mindset needed to excel in an ever-evolving world,” said Mrs. Sandhya Boygah, Executive Director of the NPCC at the online event.
She also pointed out that the NPCC intends with the support of the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology to develop the innovation club into a permanent structure in all schools. The objective is to provide students with a framework to continuously develop their creativity and innovation skills throughout the year. The CREAThon has now become a regular feature of InnovED. Through the CREAthon, with assistance from experts, the NPCC support students to view and if possible, convert their prototypes into marketable products or services.
The webinar on Artificial Intelligence was conducted by Dr. McLead Sibanda, a seasoned business executive, respected intellectual property, innovation and entrepreneurship expert. He explained about the various opportunities that Artificial Intelligence can bring into the realms of education and how it is going to shape the education of the future.
Moreover, all the teams that reached the CREAThon level received a Wifi Camera for their Innovation Club and each participant and facilitator received a certificate of achievement.
InnovEd is a project organized by the NPCC in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Scientific Research and Tertiary Education. The objective is to promote and instill creative, critical and innovative thinking among students. InnovEd aims to evoke and foster creativity in schools which will better prepare students for further education and employment.