Three recent research projects winning high prizes at the city-level final round of the 2023 ‘Students with start-up ideas’ contest organized by the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City were Utilizing discarded materials to make valuable items, Integrating knowledge into folk games and Taking advantage of technology applications to care for people's health.
Students apply knowledge into practice
The project ‘Bioplastic - Producing bioplastic items from sweet potatoes, sugarcane bagasse, and coffee grounds’ was carried out by a group of students at Tran Van Giau High School in Binh Thanh District when they came up with the idea of taking advantage of waste of agricultural products to create new environmentally friendly materials.
Student Vu Thi Hong Minh of Tran Van Giau High School, one of the members participating in the project, said that the project team took advantage of the discarded sweet potatoes, dried them to settle into starch, and then combined with sugarcane bagasse, coffee grounds and other additives to create bioplastic - plastic materials produced from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw, wood chips, and recycled food waste. From this new material, the group continues to create game sets such as chess, Chinese chess, and handmade plant pots.
Previously, students bought sweet potatoes at cheap prices at wholesale markets, sugarcane bagasse from sugar factories and businesses, and coffee grounds at coffee shop chains. Carrying out the project, students have a desire to bring a more positive view to everyone about using green, clean, environmentally friendly products, and gradually replacing toxic plastic items.
Similarly, with the project ‘Mercury - Effective learning and experience of chemistry in the 2018 General Education Program’, teachers and students of Nguyen Huu Huan High School in Thu Duc City want to create a new learning approach to support students' memory of knowledge.
Ms. Nguyen Tran Quynh Phuong, Head of the Chemistry faculty at Nguyen Huu Huan High School, said that the project aims to create eagerness in students, the project implementation team came up with the idea of designing board games (board games) and websites to support learning. In it, knowledge is cleverly integrated into games through vivid visual illustrations; therefore, the subject becomes more highly practical, not simply knowledge in textbooks.
In particular, the project ‘Application of artificial intelligence to identify insect bites’ by students of Tran Khai Nguyen High School in District 5 was highly appreciated for its application and creativity in the medical field. Accordingly, as long as a mobile phone device has an internet connection, users can scan images of insect bites to diagnose the danger level, provide first aid solutions, and suggest where to buy treatment medication. The application shows students' interest in social issues, thereby enhancing their sense of responsibility and contribution to the community.
Students gain skills through doing projects for their future careers
Being a teacher guiding students' research projects, Mr. Le Van Nam, a teacher at Tran Van Giau High School, said that participating in research not only helps students master knowledge but also know how to apply it flexibility in real life. In addition, students also practice many other skills such as presentations, group work, using information technology, writing reports, and criticism which are helpful for their future career development.
Meanwhile, according to teacher Nguyen Tran Quynh Phuong, entrepreneurship orientation for high school students helps bring many benefits to themselves and the community through the creation of innovative products of good value which have received the attention of many potential customers, especially investors so that the project can be put into production or can soon be applied to life.
Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training Duong Tri Dung commented that currently, elementary students are participating in many activities to learn about labor occupations in society integrated in many subjects. Middle and high school graders know about vocational education through participating in a variety of activities such as scientific research, and start-up competitions This is one of the positive signals showing the spread of of the entrepreneurship and innovation movement of city students.
At this time, the country in general, and Ho Chi Minh City in particular are taking heed of information technology, the entrepreneurial mindset should be nurtured amongst students as it is the key helping students to be better prepared with skills, knowledge, and experience for more successful in the future, said Mr. Duong Tri Dung.
