St. Roses Senior High School at Akwatia in the Denkyembour District of the Eastern Region has won this year’s S.T.E.M Plastic Waste Management competition .
The competition was held among selected Catholic senior high schools (SHSs) in three regions.
The participating Catholic SHSs for the STEM competition were drawn from Greater Accra, Volta and Eastern regions.
Their task was to be innovative with plastic waste found in the environment.
Theme for the quiz was: ‘STEM in Plastic Waste Management in Ghana’.
Students from St. Roses SHS, St. Thomas Aquinas SHS, St. Peter’s SHS, Pope John Seminary and SHS and Bishop Herman SHS presented their innovations.
The participating schools developed equipment that can be used to recycle plastic waste materials, whiles others also used plastic waste materials to produce dustbins and other plastic materials.
St. Roses SHS produced a flower pot with plastic waste material mixed with sand and plastic bricks for building as their project work for the competition, enabling them to win the first position.
Bishop Herman College came second.
The winning contestants shared their excitement.
“We saw how much plastic causes a lot of problem in today’s society. We were thrilled to channel our ideas into a greater good for society. It’s been sleepless night here and there but God gives his best in his best times,” said Sophia, the team head of St Roses SHS.
“The timing was limited, but we tried our best. I am very happy to participate, its an opportunity to explore we are grateful to the organisers,” added Koranteng of Bishop Herman College.
The General Manager of Catholic Schools, Araba Ahima Bentum, explained that Catholic Education in the past years has in various ways championed STEM Education in their basic and second cycle institutions to help equip students with scientific and innovative ideas to manage plastic waste in the environment.
“Recycling the plastic waste we have in the environment would go a long way to protect the environment. The innovative ideas from the students is commendable. The flower pot developed by St Roses is cost effective in times of costly cement prices.”
The STEM quiz competition was held under the auspices of the National Catholic Education Secretariat in collaboration with the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference and Konrad Adeneur Stiftung Foundation to unearth innovative and creative talents from students.
By Yvonne Neequaye|3news.com|Ghana
