adminTanaka Mahanya
Eveline High School in Bulawayo, has scooped yet another global award, the Ciena Solutions Challenge Sustainability Award.
The competition challenged students to provide solutions to Sustainable Development Goals in their communities.
The school was named among other 2022-2023 Ciena winners from Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Taiwan, Tanzania and the United States.
In an interview, Eveline High School team educator, Jobert Ngwenya, said their topic provided solutions on how they can increase digital access to tangible heritage for teenagers.
“Our solution, a digital depository for audio learning material for various subjects such as History, Economic History, Heritage Studies and Family & Religious Studies, is important to the community as it opens access sources for both teachers and learners on various topics.
“It is a smart way of sharing and preserving our heritage for future generations.
“This award will help our students train the incoming group to continue with the project, keep our website alive, and collect and curate more information for the depository,” he said.
He said winning the Ciena Solutions Challenge Sustainability Award for the second-year running is undoubtedly a great achievement.
“The team worked hard to develop an innovative solution to the challenge presented, and the fact that they were successful in doing so is testament to their skills, dedication and creativity.
“It shows that our school is producing talented and innovative students who are capable of solving real-world problems,” he said.
He said winning highlighted the importance of investing in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, as these were the fields in which students can develop the skills necessary to succeed in future.
“It demonstrates that our country is capable of producing world-class innovators, which can help boost its reputation and position in the global marketplace.”
Nicole Moyo, a student from the team, said the world had become more technological.
“From our experience as a team, the award means that the Challenge Based Learning framework that we used is useful for creating solutions addressing the Sustainable Development Goals.
‘‘We came to realise that these podcasts are a very convenient method that one should engage with due to the technological advancements in this day and age.”
The Ciena Solutions Challenge invites educators and students from around the world to engage in challenge-based learning to design solutions that address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Since launching in 2021, more than 550 teachers from schools and youth organisations have engaged with the Ciena Solutions Challenge to address solutions that address SDGs in their communities.
Online Reporter