Sustainability Competition — Presidio Education®
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Sustainability Project Competition

 
 

For the 2020-2021 Presidio Impact trip, we plan to help impoverished schools overseas. By building classrooms and providing academic resources, we hope to provide some hope for these impoverished children. We truly believe in giving back to those in need. This is why we teach our own students the importance of community service!

 

Our Asia Impact 2021 Logo

 

From the start, the entire Presidio Impact team wanted to create a meaningful logo that embodies the essence of the Asia Impact 2021 trip. We wanted a logo that represents not only the importance of education, but also the value of community. Our logo consists of a classroom that is built out of various school supplies, including a paperclip, a ruler, a pencil, a highlighter and a book. The classroom represents the emphasis of the community for our trip. A classroom is a place of learning that unifies people as a family. We strive not just to give back to our community but to build a more unified community.

— Angelina
Creator of the Asia Impact 2021 Logo

 
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Angelina
High School Student

For a very long time, I have been very interested in topics related to obesity. Obesity is an oddly specific topic. However, I think my interest in this topic is related to an essay I wrote in the fourth grade. While researching obesity, I was shocked by the number of people diagnosed with this condition. When entering the SPC competition I did not initially know what topic to write about. There was just such a vast array of topics. Yet, after careful consideration, I knew that obesity was the topic for me. Although extremely prevalent among many societies, obesity never truly receives the red light as a serious issue. This paper was my chance to raise awareness for the severity of obesity.

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Lawrence
High School Student

After many service experiences in my local community, including serving meals to the elderly, I have developed a profound interest in hunger-related issues. I believe that it is vital for underprivileged communities to have basic physiological needs satisfied with food, water and clothing. Hence, for the SPC competition, I decided to research the hunger crisis occurring in Yemen. During my research process, I was shocked to learn how many Yemeni families are suffering from extreme food insecurity and how the addition of COVID-19 has accelerated hunger rates. The research paper has given me the opportunity to learn in depth about hunger problems in developing countries, such as Yemen, and raise awareness about such issues.

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Katherine
High School Student

Human trafficking is a global issue that is highly present in Chile. Although Chile has made sustained efforts to create new policies to fight against human trafficking, the next step for Chile is to enforce those policies. With international aid, the Chilean government can educate the general public about human trafficking. Funding should go towards educating law enforcement officers and prosecutors to increase arrests and convictions. With education, Chile will be able to see tangible results with reduced human trafficking victims and reduced human trafficking cases.

 

    Pushing Sustainability Innovation

     
     

    Creating an education-technology company means building on the principles of teaching, not simply focusing on generating revenue. Real educators teach because they truly want students to reach their academic potential. This is why we developed the Sustainability Project Competition (SPC) for both domestic and international high school students. Our SPC provides high school students the opportunity to solve complex environmental and public health problems within their communities through rigorous research, which often includes completing research papers and videos. While the SPC drives students to sharpen their English writing and problem-solving skills, the SPC provides students an opportunity to build their academic portfolios. Please contact our Sustainability Team to join!

     
    San Francisco Clean Air Vehicle MUNI public bus on downtown Market Street in San Francisco, California. Photograph by Yunju Chen, Director of Product Management, 2018.

    San Francisco Clean Air Vehicle MUNI public bus on downtown Market Street in San Francisco, California. Photograph by Yunju Chen, Director of Product Management, 2018.

    SPC STUDENTS MOTIVATE COMMUNITY ACTION

    The main goal of the SPC is for students to develop such profound solutions to sustainability problems that their communities, local governments and even schools take proactive measures to put these projects into motion. We want students to inspire communities to work together. If students are able to identify such pressing sustainability issues, prove critical theories, and develop powerful solutions to save ecosystems, then these students will not simply be students, but game-changing leaders in their communities.

    SPC BUILDS ACADEMIC PORTFOLIOS

    Well-articulated research papers are tangible evidence that high school students can add to their college applications. Research papers prove that students have identified and solved complex sustainability problems. Strong research papers may even be expanded into theses or have the potential to be published. However, we kindly remind students that solving pressing sustainability problems within their communities should be their primary objective, not gaining personal glory. We hope students welcome our SPC challenge for the right reasons!

    STUDENTS RECEIVE FULL CREDIT

    While our faculty and college intern teams will help guide students with brainstorming ideas, researching data, testing hypotheses and writing research findings, no one from Presidio Education® will take any credit, equity, or rights with any intellectual property or patents from student projects. Students deserve and maintain all credit with their SPC research and results. We truly mean non-profit when we push our sustainability initiatives. Academic integrity is paramount. Students should earn the full credit they deserve.

    Summer 2018 SPC Teams

     

    Although our Summer 2018 SPC student teams identified important sustainability problems within their respective communities, many teams struggled to develop plausible solutions. Students soon realized that identifying important sustainability problems was only the first part of the battle. This is why we push students to go out into communities to test theories and hypotheses in real-time. Experience and community interaction foster innovation!

     

    Water Management

    Research Team: Maggie’s Team

    Research Synopsis: 

    Hong Kong’s only sludge water treatment plant exists in T-Park, which is located in Tuen Mun. Our team is proposing to remodel this technology on a smaller scale and on our school campus. While the Environmental Protection Department’s investment in this green tech is really an ode to sustainable development, using this technology simply isn’t a viable option for many facilities in Hong Kong. For example, next year our school will be producing around fifty gallons of sludge water a day just from our food processor. Although our administration claims that they will transport this water to T-Park, trucking 60.3 kilometers a day to transport that water does not seem economical nor sustainable in terms of efficiency and of course the environment. Conscious of this problem, our team will gather findings that support our proffer that an in-house sludge water treatment plant will be beneficial both for the environment and our school’s budget.

    Environmental Economics

    Research Team: APES of Wrath

    Research Synopsis: 

    Following the industrial revolution, businesses and consumers have traded ease and progress for harm to the environment, leading to the increasing interest in the study of environmental economics. As an increasing amount of people are relying on the Internet to find information, we believe that creating an extension to browsers would allow users to recognize how their purchases impact the environment in a convenient, non-intrusive manner. Our extension highlights specific features of products, whether it be its manufacturer, material, or source, information that might not be the most easily accessible to the consumer. In turn, this enables consumers to understand the environmental impact of their purchase, allowing them to make purchases that are not only better informed but also better for the environment.

    Renewable Energy

    Research Team: The Underdogs  

    Research Synopsis: 

    Hong Kong heavily relies on fossil fuels as its main source of energy and supply is slowly running out. Although Hong Kong currently uses wind and solar power plants, the scale is limited and unreliable. Sooner or later, Hong Kong will need a more sustainable source of energy to power its infrastructure. Our team is conducting research on bladeless wind turbines, a new form of sustainable energy, making use of vortex shedding to generate energy. By evaluating the efficiency of bladeless wind turbines and Hong Kong’s geographic layout, we aim to find out its applicability and optimal location.

    Left to right: Diva Wong, Logistics (College Intern), SPC students Justin Lee and Dexter Wan (The Underdogs Team Captain), and Isaac Ng, Data Analytics (College Intern), working on their renewable energy project, 2018.

    Left to right: Diva Wong, Logistics (College Intern), SPC students Justin Lee and Dexter Wan (The Underdogs Team Captain), and Isaac Ng, Data Analytics (College Intern), working on their renewable energy project, 2018.

     
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    SPC Student Day at
    Ocean Park, Hong Kong

    SPC Student Day with Presidio Education® faculty and students at Ocean Park, Hong Kong. Walking ahead left to right: SPC students Ash Sze and Vincent Zee. Walking behind left to right: Kenley Lou, Social Science Teacher, and Wayne Man, Math & Social Science Teacher. Presidio Education®, 2018.

     

    Incorporating STEM for SPC

     
     

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    Meet Isaac Ng
    Sustainability Data Analytics (College Intern)

    Isaac attends college in Hong Kong and majors in physics. His studies encourage him to ponder about how the universe works with questions about quantum mechanics theories and abstract ideas. Focusing on data analytics, he guides students with their SPC research data, hypotheses and methodologies. Isaac recommends aspiring college students to not be discouraged from making mistakes, but to take on complex problems with enthusiasm.

    The Sustainability Project Competition (SPC) challenges high school students to create a practical solution to a sustainability problem in their respective communities. The SPC project requires participants to apply Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to develop innovative ideas into realistic solutions. Science is required to understand the underlying cause of a sustainability problem. Engineering and technology are useful to create a suitable solution for the given problem. Mathematics serve as the basis of the other STEM components to ensure precise calculations. The SPC is an opportunity for high school students to train their critical thinking skills and encourage teamwork.

     
    A simple brainstorming example of mind mapping. Illustration by Isaac Ng, Data Analytics (College Intern), 2018.

    A simple brainstorming example of mind mapping. Illustration by Isaac Ng, Data Analytics (College Intern), 2018.

    Recording and documenting experimental procedures and results are vital for precise research. Illustration by Isaac Ng, Data Analytics (College Intern), 2018.

    Recording and documenting experimental procedures and results are vital for precise research. Illustration by Isaac Ng, Data Analytics (College Intern), 2018.

    Brainstorming SPC Ideas

    High school students must first consider the list of approved sustainability subject categories. Choosing categories that students are familiar with or interested in will help them develop ideas. Students must brainstorm potential environmental or public health problems in their respective communities. When gathering information, Wikipedia and news articles should be avoided as references, as they can be inaccurate. Instead, obtaining validated references from printed and online resources on both Google Scholar or from local libraries will provide more reliable intelligence. Sources must be recorded in correct citation format throughout the project.

    Creating and Testing A Hypothesis

    A hypothesis is a proposed solution to the problem according to the information researched. However, a hypothesis should always be testable by experiment or simulation. A good way to test the feasibility of a hypothesis is to imagine the hypothesis as a proposal to the government or an international corporation. Students will need to create a product or an experiment that will prove the hypothesis. Once completed, students should make a careful analysis and documentation of the results. If the results do not support the hypothesis, students need to modify the hypothesis until the hypothesis is supported by the experiment or simulation.

    Conclusion, Video and Write-up

    After a successful experiment or simulation, students can come up with a conclusion and start developing the sustainability project video and research paper. Throughout the research process, students should take note of the research details, hypothesis and experiment results to aid in the video and write-ups. There should be in-text citations throughout the research paper and a reference list at the end of the paper. The video should contain information identical to the research paper but be clearly narrated. Video recording in real-time is ideal to emphasize the sustainability problem in the chosen community. Academic honesty must be upheld at all times.