The students of today are solving the problems of tomorrow.
Grade 7 students at H.E. Bourgoin Middle School have made it to the top 150 in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Challenge.
Competing against schools Canada-wide, the small group of students and faculty are looking into the Town of Bonnyville and area need for a better source of water, and the regional waterline as a solution.
Should they prove successful and find themselves crowned this year's regional winners, they will win a technology package that will help lead teacher for technology at Northern Lights Public Schools, Carly Johnson, meet her goal of having one computer cart per grade level at H.E. Bourgoin.
The challenge wants students to focus on STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Johnson believes that having the students work on a real-life problem, such as the waterline, will help them better understand how all of these topics are connected.
“A lot of times in science we teach one unit at a time. This is a real world problem that they have to focus on. They get to see how all of those pieces are tied together,” she explained.
Each of the four winning schools also get an exclusive event with Canadian rocket-scientist Natalie Panek, tying directly into one of the challenge's main focuses: inspiring students to consider a career in STEM.
“STEM is everything I do,” Panek said in a news release. “Especially evident with my recent work on European Space Agency's ExoMars Rover project, is that a career in STEM carries boundless opportunities.”
The students were chosen by their teachers to participate in the assignment as an enhancement project. So far, they have pitched their idea, brainstormed potential complications including the environmental, economical, and financial impact on the surrounding communities, as well as how it will impact the water levels of Cold Lake.
“We have what connects to science, technology, engineering, and math. We talk about how it's going to affect us in the future, how we can get the funding, and how it's all connected,” said Grade 7 student Courtney Anderson.
Morganne Baxter, Grade 7 student, has been working closely with Anderson on a brain map, diagnosing potential problems and their solutions.
Jad Zouein, also Grade 7, has been focusing on drawing out the route of the pipeline on a map, while some of the other students have been looking into the technology and scope of the waterline.
The students made a presentation at Duclos school, taking both Bonnyville and Cold Lake water for them to try.
Zouein said the group wanted to learn that the town needs Cold Lake water because, “ours is not that good.”
As part of the challenge, they made a two to three minute video about their topic, and included the presentation at Duclos in the footage.
In order to get an idea of what the judges were looking for, the group looked at some of the previous winners videos, including Glendon School.
“It's crazy how Glendon, a school so close, won last year,” expressed Baxter.
The neighbouring school managed to win last year's competition by incorporating a greenhouse in their wellness project. Using what they did as a guideline, HEB is hoping they will find the same success.
As the students learn more about their community's need for a better water source, they're also learning valuable life lessons.
“This is a real life problem. When we go into the workforce we're going to need to learn how to problem solve, and think of things realistically. Right now, we don't really know that, but we're getting the idea,” Anderson noted.
The group is both excited and nervous to make it to the top 150. After submitting their video last week, they're now waiting on pins and needles for the results expected in late June.
“It's exciting. We're a little bit nervous because you don't want to let your school or your school division down. We're really excited to show what HEB has to offer,” Anderson expressed.
Winning would mean the students have done their part to make their school a better place.
Baxter said, “It would mean that we got our school more technology by doing our work. We would have a feeling of pride.”
