A GROUP of students from University of the Philippines High School in Iloilo was part of the 30 winners of the STEM Project Competition by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Regional Centre for STEM Education.

Grade 8 students Guillane Marie Agreda, Chara Louise Joven, and Francheska Marie Loreña earned through their project named “Aquastra: Solar-Powered Drip Irrigation System.”

Their project was fueled by their advocacy on spreading awareness on droughts in the Philippines to the youth sector and finding potential solutions.

It was the culmination of their Project-Based Learning Experiences in Fundamentals of Earth Science II–Meteorology and Climate Science.
“They developed a working model of a solar-powered drip irrigation system to provide a proof of concept for their solution to the said problem,” the university said.

“They worked on their plant box by putting soil and planting mongo seeds. They then attached two solar panels and eventually utilized their irrigation system,” it added.

The students were mentored by Mr. Vicente Armones IV.

The STEM Project Competition was conducted to assist and enhance the youth’s problem-solving skills by utilizing STEM-integrated knowledge.

The competition had 400 applicants during the acceptance period from Oct. 1 of last year to Jan. 31 this year.

Finalists are promised to have the opportunity to showcase their projects on March 10 at the SEA STEM Fair and Expo 2023.