Judging time for technology awards!
The Sunshine Coast’s technology tyros have spoken and it is now the judges who are putting their thinking caps on as they decide the finalists for the inaugural Mayor’s Telstra Technology Awards.
The Sunshine Coast’s technology tyros have spoken and it is now the judges who are putting their thinking caps on as they decide the finalists for the inaugural Mayor’s Telstra Technology Awards.
Entries have been submitted from students across five different schools for the competition that is a terrific opportunity for local youngsters to showcase their innovative ideas.
There's $20,000 in prizes up for grabs for students and their schools and Telstra Area Manager Kris Carver said finding a winner wouldn’t be easy.
“The judging panel had its first look at the entries late yesterday and the standard of submissions looks extremely impressive,” Mr Carver said.
“The Sunshine Coast is a great region that’s fostering its talent and really looking to show young people new ways of thinking so that’s why we’re bringing these awards to this region.
“By doing this we can showcase future opportunities to youngsters in a fun and innovative way and they can take their ideas and their thoughts and really take it to the next level.
“They’ll be judged through a set criteria and that will involve their written and video submission as well as a presentation at the end that they’ll be mentored through and then presenting their idea to a panel of judges.”
Unity College Caloundra Year 11 student Jordan Josic said participating in the awards had already been a terrific experience.
“Our team has had so much fun coming up with our submission which is an App that clinical health professionals can use with clients to help them collate data that identifies and monitors periods of stress experienced by the client that can then be used to form the basis of support therapies and stress minimisation strategies,” Jordan said.
“It would also have a set of ‘self-help’ strategies for stress minimisation and links to supporting information online.
“Just participating in the Mayor’s Telstra Technology Awards to this point has been an eye-opening experience and we’d love to be selected for the next stage of the competition to really learn more about how to improve our idea from people with real world experience.”
Sunshine Coast Council CEO Michael Whittaker said students whose entries made the finals would benefit from an entrepreneurial mentoring program.
“This will be run by Spark Bureau and it will enable these young students to refine their inventions with the help of some of our region’s sharpest minds with technology start-up business experience,” Mr Whittaker said.
“Four of these mentoring sessions will be held between April 14 and May 4 before the final judging and awards presentations on May 18.”
Finalists for the Mayor’s Telstra Technologies Awards will be notified shortly.
All finalists’ entries will be in the running for the ‘People’s Choice’ award and details on where and how to vote for this will soon be available.
For more information about the Sunshine Coast Mayor’s Telstra Technology Awards and to enter, visit council’s website: www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au