Students making life better for all in 2024 Game Changer Challenge
Students from five Hunter schools are taking part in the virtual semi-final stage of the award-winning Game Changer Challenge this week.
Among the 120 semi-finalists, the seven teams will learn and use design thinking methodology to help solve a real-world wicked problem.
The local schools and team names are:
Warners Bay High School: The Fire Extinguishers
Belmont Public School: Belmont BAGs
Dudley Public School: The Creative Chameleons
New Lambton Public School: Change Gamers and Innovating H2Os
Wirreanda Public School: Eco Energy Engineers and Wastate Warriors
This year students have been asked to 'make life better for all without harming the planet'.
The Game Changer Challenge, coordinated by the NSW Department of Education, highlights the creativity and passion of students across the state as they tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing our world today.
The teams are participating across five virtual semifinal events. Over the course of the school day, each team will learn and practise design thinking methodology to define the issue and ideate solutions to solve it.
Design thinking methodology is a human-centred approach to solving complex problems and focuses on empathy and collaboration.
The online event concludes with the team presenting a pitch to a panel of Game Changer Challenge industry partners and experts.
The 2024 wicked problem is powered by UNICEF Australia and inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 9 to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation.
A record number of submissions were received this year, with more than 400 teams entering.
After the semifinals the top 20 teams will progress to the grand final event to be held across 3 days at the department's Parramatta office in November.
The 2024 Game Changer Challenge is supported by our partners: Winc., Rothfield, UNICEF Australia, ABC Education, Adobe, Amazon Web Services, Arludo, ARUP, Canva, CD-Soft Educational Resources, Education Perfect, Engineering Ingenuity, EY, Food Ladder, HP Australia, IBM, JSL Advisory, KPMG, Macquarie Bank, Makedo, Mott MacDonald, Powerhouse Museum, Terracycle, Think Different Anyday, Tata Consulting Services, The Ed Institute, TOMRA Cleanaway, The University of NSW, Woolworths.
