The Smart School Hackathon is a unique competition conducted by Persistent Foundation and I4C, that invites innovative projects from the field of Science and Technology. For the first time ever, this competition opened its doors for the students of Std. 7 to 9…..and the result was a grand affair of innovation, problem-solving, and stupendous creativity!
103 teams participated from 23 schools across Pune, Pimpri – Chinchwad and Nashik. Out of these, only 40 teams made it to the Finals…..and can Team Walnut NOT be a part of it? Our young innovators from Walnut School, Fursungi not only made it to the Finals but also brought home the award for the Best Innovative Idea.
The projects involved innovation in the methods of water and waste management, pollution control, upcycled products from waste, etc. Our team worked on bettering the system of tanks and water management that most housing societies currently have.
The judges threw curveballs at them, by asking questions like ‘The system works fine in a small – scale model, but how applicable would it be on a larger scale – in housing societies?’ ‘What realistic alterations would be required if you were to make your model to suit a large scale requirement?’ and ‘These tanks are usually installed at the top of the building, so how can the buzzer be heard by someone who is responsible to stop the water flow?’ Our team of brainiacs remained unfazed and answered each question deftly and knowledgeably.
Our girls brought home a cheque worth Rs.10,000/- and lots of pats on their backs! They were felicitated in school and applauded by all their teachers and schoolmates
The exciting part is that all finalist projects may be presented to the Atal Innovation Centre, which may result in them actually being implemented in cities across India!
But do you know what was even more exciting for us? Our winning team comprised of four girls – all State Level Kickboxing Champions!! Applaud our budding innovators – Piyali Waje, Antra Waje, Anwesha Kumar, and Sarakshi Lamture – for they proved that Walnut students are “tough outside, smart inside”!