Middle and high school students from the Washington D.C. Metro Area and across Ghana collaborated virtually on 10 binational teams to craft sustainable STEM solutions to community challenges using the human-centered design thinking process.    

To culminate the Challenge, all 10 teams pitched their STEM solutions live to a panel of special guests and industry leaders.  

The panel selected the following five teams who demonstrated excellence in STEM Innovation, STEM Application, Cross-Cultural Collaboration, Best Live Pitch, and an All-Star Award:  

Excellence in STEM Innovation 

Brookland Middle School 

Sunyani Senior High School  

Prototype: A Waste Processing System that safely converts human excrement to biogas, manure, and liquid fertilizer.

 

Excellence in STEM Application 

McKinley Middle School 

Nkoranza Senior High School  

Prototype: Brickz, an application that encourages families to recycle plastic waste into bricks 

 

Excellence in Cross-Cultural Collaboration

MacFarland Middle School 

Osudoku Senior High School  

Prototype: Carbon Monoxide Neutralizers 

 

Best Live Pitch

Achimota Senior High School

Oyster Adams Bilingual School  

Prototype: The Green Lantern, a device helps people gain access to a stable form of renewable energy using the same amount of water in a cyclic motion. 

 

The All-Star Award 

Ron Brown College Preparatory High School 

Edinaman Senior High School  

Prototype: SS Purifier, a device that provides local fishmongers a sustainable way to smoke/preserve fish to main clean air in the environment.

 

The World Smarts STEM Challenge is funded by the National Science Foundation and is part of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers applied research program. WSSC is implemented by IREX with partnership from North Carolina State University and Karen Peterman Consulting.