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St Anthony’s year 5 student Bella Winfield is the National Winner of the young investor’s contest “littleBIGidea”, an initiative of Origin. Bella’s littleBIGidea is to utilise raw sugarcane pulp into a bioplastic to make toys. She was inspired by a delivery of sugarcane plastic water bottles to her school and proposes that all toys should be manufactured this way. Bella’s award winning idea was judged the most original, creative and practical by a judging panel consisting of Dr Jordan Nguyen – biomedical engineer, humanitarian, technology futurist, inventor and littleBIGidea Ambassador, Alison Stoakley – Engineers Without Borders and Fiona MacDonald – ScienceAlert.com. More than1000 entries were received for Bella’s category. As a finalist she participated in an Engineers Without Borders design workshop along with other finallists in the competition. For winning, she will travel with a parent to NASA in the USA.
Other Notes:
- 11 year old Bella Winfield -“National Winner” in Origin’s littleBIGidea competition.
- Grade 5 – 6 category from over 1,000 entries received nationally.
- Bella’s littleBIGidea is to utilise raw sugarcane pulp into a bioplastic to make toys.
- Bella conceived the idea that all toys should be manufactured this way, when her school received a delivery of sugarcane plastic water bottles.
- Each metric ton of bio – polyethylene produced avoids the emission of 2 to 2.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide on a lifecycle basis and could be a positive step against climate change.
- Bella’s award winning idea was judged the most original, creative and practical by a judging panel consisting of Dr Jordan Nguyen – biomedical engineer, humanitarian, technology futurist, inventor and littleBIGidea Ambassador, Alison Stoakley – Engineers Without Borders and Fiona MacDonald – ScienceAlert.com
- Prior to being announced as a national winner, Bella participated in an Engineers Without Borders design workshop along with other finallists in the competition
- The competition encourages children to think creatively about how to solve real world problems – and aims to foster problem solving skills, curiosity and adaptability.
- Origina has provided a great opportunity for children here
- some previous winners going on to commercialise their ideas and others using the opportunities presented by the competition to further their study and career ambitions.
- Bella will be awarded a trip for 2 to NASA in the USA
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