Young Innovators Challenge (YIC) Programme 2020

Date: 1^st March to 15^th October 2020

Venue: Zoom & online website platforms

The School of Computing and Creative Media (SCM), UCTS had successfully supported online Train-The-Teachers (TTT) and challenge competition in partnership with Chumbaka Sibu, conducted virtually on online platforms. With the Digital Maker Movement gaining grounds, this year’s event saw a larger turnout of student mentors and teachers from over 22 participating schools from Sibu and all around Sibu (e.g. Sibu Jaya, Sarikei, Kanowit, Mukah, Kapit, Betong, Engkili and Julau).

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, YIC programme was shifted from physical to online platforms. We started off with TTT during the MCO lockdown in April and May 2020. TTT programme prepared the teachers and student mentors from UCTS to train students from their respective schools for the Young Innovators Challenge Competition from 1^st July to 15^th October 2020. Three modules were completed in the online training workshops: YIC & Design Thinking, Self-Directed Learning and Introduction to Arduino. Throughout the TTT, the participants learnt about coding and how to programme their Arduino microchips. They were also introduced to the Design Thinking process and self-directed learning as a guide in the process of project design and construction.

All schools and student mentors were given Arduino kits that were generously sponsored by the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA), the Sarawak Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research (MESTR) and TEGAS, under the sponsorship of Yayasan Sime Darby. In this competition, students identified a real problem that a person would face and designed a solution with social impact. Their solution must consist of an open-source microcontroller (e.g. Arduino) and developed with open-source software (e.g. App Inventor, IDE).

Twelve UCTS students participated in TTT and 22 schools sent their teachers-in-charge to form the teams of students as YIC participants as listed below:

1. SMK Sacred Heart, Sibu
2. SMK Lanang, Sibu
3. SMK Methodist, Sibu
4. SMK Kampung Nangka, Sibu
5. SMK Rosli Dhoby, Sibu
6. SMK St. Elizabeth, Sibu
7. SMK Tiong Hin, Sibu
8. Catholic High School, Sibu
9. SMK Luar Bandar No.1 Sibu
10. SMK Sibu Jaya, Sibu
11. SMK St. Anthony, Sarikei
12. SMK Bandar Sarikei, Sarikei
13. SMK Tinggi Sarikei, Sarikei
14. MRSM Betong
15. SMK Kanowit
16. SMK Datuk Haji Abdul Rahman Yaakub, Kanowit
17. SMK Julau No. 2
18. SMK Mukah
19. SMK Kapit No. 2
20. SMK Engkili
21. MRSM Mukah
22. KV Sibu

The Young Innovators Challenge (YIC) is much more than an innovation competition. It is a platform for secondary school students in Malaysia to learn, innovate, and implement their ideas in the community. This learning journey will not only inculcate their technical skills but also nurture their life skills. This year there were 292 video submissions, from a total of 165 schools all over Malaysia! Sarawak has the highest video submissions with a total of 96 teams, contributing 33% of all submissions! By putting the platform online, we have gathered the alumni of YIC, technical mentors, and industry experts for the students, no matter where they are in Malaysia.

Below are the selected 15 winning teams who made it to SDYIC 2020 National Camp:

In addition, the following teams won Special Awards as listed: