KUCHING: Five talented students from Sarawak will be representing the state during a visit to the Nasa Headquarters located in Washington D.C., United States in March.
The Change Maker, a group of five students from SMK Bintulu – Edwin Ting, Issac Yong, Jayden, Sean Lee, and Yiek Siew Hao, who emerged as winners of the 2021 NASA Space Apps Challenge in Sarawak — created a mobile app named “Shine.”
During the Nasa Space Apps Winners Trip Flag Off Ceremony held at the LCDA building in The Isthmus, off Jalan Bako yesterday (Feb 24), Edwin Ting expressed gratitude on behalf of his team to the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) for funding their trip.
“We are honoured and also determined to make the most of this opportunity.
“We are eager to witness some of the most advanced technology during our visit to NASA headquarters, and we are excited to get insights into space exploration technology development and scientific research.
“We hope to learn from scientists, engineers and innovators in NASA while interacting with people from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences,” he said.
Ting added the opportunity would expand their knowledge and outlook, pushing them to develop and improve both individually and as a team.
Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development, Datuk Francis Harden Hollis, congratulated the students for developing an application that enabled homeowners to track their electricity output and predict future savings through the use of solar panels, utilising NASA’s meteorological data.
“This project secured one of the top 10 awards and received the Best Use of Technology award, from among 2,800+ projects submitted globally from 162 countries. This is indeed an achievement.
“Last year, the challenge drew 31,561 participants from 162 countries, producing 3,000+ projects in response to Earth Science challenge statements written by NASA.
“My ministry is proud to provide the opportunity to these budding innovators from Sarawak to visit NASA facilities in the USA, and this is a testament of MEITD’s commitment to developing talents and promote innovations in Sarawak,” said Harden
He encouraged the students to use their NASA visit to inspire them to pursue careers in earth, science, and technology-related fields while learning to be creative and innovative in developing practical solutions that benefitted Sarawak.
The ministry, he added, would continue to support and provide opportunities with their partners for Sarawak students to learn and interact with leading experts in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
“This is to create a science literate society and foster a culture of innovation and creativity that will serve Sarawak well in years to come.”
He also urged students, teachers and parents alike to join this year’s NASA Space Apps Challenge scheduled on October 7 and 8.
