Shell bares winners of the first ‘The Bright Ideas Challenge’

Out of 26 teams that submitted entries on how to sustainably power future cities, the 10 chosen finalists were student groups from Meridian Learning International Experience, St. Theresa’s College, CCF Life Academy, Dumaguete Science High School, Philippine Science High School Cagayan Valley, CEU Senior High School, and Biñan National High School.

Aside from showcasing the Filipino youths’ ingenuity, TBIC also aims to spark students’ curiosity in tackling real world problems through energy efficiency and other innovative ways to make future cities vibrant and healthy.

“We hope to inspire a generation of innovative Filipino scientists, thinkers, mentors, city planners and decision-makers through The Bright Ideas Challenge,” beamed Ramon del Rosario, Vice President for External and Government Relations of Shell Companies in the Philippines (SciP), during the opening of the students’ exhibit at the Mind Museum in BGC, Taguig.

“We aim to propel future leaders to think big, use their problem solving, teamwork, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills to come up with solutions on how future cities might run in cleaner and healthier ways. We are also giving high school students a platform to be seen and heard, and help deliver the school curriculum through an innovative, more engaging approach,” added Sankie Simbulan, Social Performance and Social Investment Manager of SCiP.

Del Rosario said that the ideas of this year’s finalists contain elements of sustainability, energy efficiency, science, technology and engineering. “The ideas here can be used in communities which don't have access to energy and water,” he noted.

At the end of the competition, the student team from Philippine Science High School Cagayan Valley (Team Pisay CVC) and their prototype invention called “Pipe-to Manalo-to” was named grand prize winner. The team will bring home a Php 100,000 prize package for their school that they can use to pursue their STEM program. In addition, the team also wins Php 100,000 and a fully-funded trip to attend the Make the Future festival in Singapore in March 2018.

Rounding out the other winners of the competition were first runner-up ERMACC Energy Binan National High School and second runner-up Centro Escolar University Senior High School. Also adjudged Merit Award winners were Team LIT Ideas and P for Power, both of Meridian Learning International Experience.

The second prize winner gets Php 70,000 + PhP 70,000 for their school’s STEM program while the third prize winner receives Php50,000 + Php 50,000 prize package for their school’s STEM program. The merit winners, meanwhile, each receive a Php10,000 prize package.

Team Pisay CVC of Philippine Science High School Cagayan Valley was able to miniaturize the principle of hydroelectric power generation for household application. “Our idea can produce less than 5 kilowatts of electricity, which can charge mobile phone and power house lights,” said team leader John Paolo Lumanlan, explaining their pico-hydroelectric generator.

Lumanlan added that the generator uses a Kaplan propeller made from tin cans and fitted into a pipe T-joint. The T-joint can replace the elbow joints of house water pipes and the water pressure runs the device like a dynamo with current flowing through an abutting electrical wire.

Designed to show how STEM can tackle real world problems, TBIC invited high school students from Grades 7 to 12, aged between 12 to 18 years old, to participate.

Powering future cities sustainably requires a mix of vision and realism, urgency and thoughtfulness from all sectors of society. With the youth at the forefront of the competition, Shell aims to inspire optimism and going beyond convention to achieve its vision of a low carbon world, aside from offering smarter mobility programs, energy efficient products, and natural gas technology that diversifies the energy mix.

To find out more about the competition, check out The Bright Ideas Challenge 2018.