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YICTE2016 Final International Grammar
28 November, 2016

AARNet schools shine in digital challenge

Schools benefiting from AARNet’s high-speed internet services have again excelled in a nationwide competition aimed at inspiring young people to engage with digital technology.

K-12 Schools Network & Connectivity STEM News

The Young ICT Explorers competition challenges school children from Year 3 to Year 12 to put the national ICT curriculum into practice by designing any technology project they are inspired to create.

With state competitions held during August and September, 40 projects and 81 students reached the final and pitched their projects. Judges, including AARNet’s Nick Cross, had the difficult job of selecting the winners based on the creativity, uniqueness, quality, level of difficulty, and communication of their ideas.

AARNet-connected schools scooped first prize in the year 7-8 and 9-10 categories and second prize in the year 5-6, 7-8 and 9-10 categories, with their success highlighting the importance of high-quality internet access in enabling young people to seize digital opportunities.

Winning AARNet schools’ projects included Class Together, linked GPS devices to make sure children don’t get lost on schools trips, and Captain Underpants, a computer powered laundry management system.

AARNet’s Nick Cross explains why the initiative is such an important one to support.

“A key part of AARNet’s mission is providing the high-quality internet services that enable school children to explore digital technologies—and ideally be motivated to engage with STEM beyond Year 12.

“Young ICT Explorers achieves this with a uniquely inspiring event: with no rules, it’s a blank canvas that allows for the creation of the most extraordinary conceptions and inventions.

“There is a wonderful atmosphere of legitimate joyous enthusiasm at the prospect of making it to the competition and being acknowledged as Young ICT Explorers.”

Read more about the YICTE 2016 National Final award winning projects.

Find out more about AARNet’s connectivity for K-12 schools.

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