STEM

GoIT Global Innovator Competition – Year 8 Girls Present ‘Farm Find’

The GoIT Global Innovator Competition is an international challenge that inspires students to design and prototype an app that addresses one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This competition empowers young minds and prepares them for the future of technology.

In Term 1, a group of Year 8 girls from two campuses (DRC and SGC) worked collaboratively to develop their Year 7 innovative solution addressing hunger and responsible consumption and production. Their app, ‘Farm Find’, aims to connect local farmers directly with consumers, reducing food waste and storage issues. The app prototype includes features such as GPS tracking, zero additional bank fees, a platform for farmers to list their farming practices and produce, and more.

Students Mirella Emmins, Scarlett Trajcevski, Eva Dimitrova and Victoria Kolokythas presented ‘Farm Find’ to schools from seven countries, including Australia, Japan, China (Hong Kong), Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and New Zealand. A total of 15 student groups participated in the competition via video conference, each given five minutes to pitch their idea and answer questions from the judges.

Although our team did not win, participating in the GoIT competition was an invaluable experience. The students demonstrated exceptional teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving skills, gaining confidence in presenting their ideas on a global stage. Their efforts in designing ‘Farm Find’ highlight the importance of innovation in tackling real-world challenges and showcase their potential as future leaders in technology.

Mr S Kalantzis 

Senior STEM Educator

Fuel the Future: Australian Grand Prix Formula 1 STEM Challenge

In March each year, Formula 1 (F1) racing is held at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne. SMC students participate in a STEM challenge facilitated by the Australian Grand Prix and STEM Hub.

In 2025, the challenge was to design and create a concept hydrogen-powered F1 car and present the feasibility of hydrogen as a fuel source. The challenge required critical thinking, problem-solving, and scientific inquiry skills—formulating questions, conducting experiments, analysing data, and making informed decisions about hydrogen power.

Andriana Menikou and Antonia Mazloungas from Year 9 and Juliana Menikou from Year 7 , took on the STEM challenge to design a concept hydrogen-powered F1 car. They applied their scientific inquiry skills to conduct electrolysis—a method to split hydrogen from oxygen—then used their findings to design a fuel stack (a concept design to generate hydrogen).

To better understand the limitations of hydrogen as a fuel, they collaborated with Ms K Thomson (Senior Chemistry Teacher) to explore solutions for safely storing hydrogen in F1 cars without the risk of explosion. The team investigated the form and properties of metals that interact with hydrogen and ultimately proposed a nanotechnology-based solution: storing hydrogen in the form of Magnesium-Hydride.

The girls worked with determination to create a prototype of a hydrogen-powered F1 car. They prepared a video pitch and submitted their entry into the Junior F1 Challenge. Competing under the team name F1H2 Discovery, they will represent SMC as one of the top three schools in Victoria in the Junior division.

Stay tuned for the next publication to find out the results of the Australian Grand Prix and STEM Hub Challenge.

Mr S Bagh

Senior Teacher (Future Technologies, STEM Education)