Team Girl Code from SMK Lutong in Miri triumphs in programme promoting STEM among local youth

DESPITE the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in sparking progress through innovation and driving national growth, fewer students across the country are pursuing these pivotal fields.

In light of this alarming trend, Shell Malaysia introduced the Shell NXplorers programme to promote and stimulate interest in STEM among local youth.

The Shell NXplorers programme is a global education initiative that empowers youths to address complex challenges faced by the world today and become agents of change by providing them with the tools, methodologies and skills to tackle real-world problems through collaboration, innovation and interdisciplinary approaches.

The programme features regional and national competitions that encourage and challenge secondary school students to develop and design innovative solutions that address real-world issues within the nexus of food-water-energy and with the UN Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs) in mind.

Winning team

After being awarded the first runner-up spot in the Sarawak regional competition earlier this year, Team Girl Code from SMK Lutong in Miri emerged the winner in this year’s Shell NXplorers 2023 national competition thanks to their inventive e-composting system called Compost Manager.

Compost Manager was designed to meticulously monitor the conditions and progress of compost heaps by providing real-time data on essential factors such as temperature, humidity and aeration – ensuring that the composting process is optimised for efficiency and effectiveness.

However, this invention is more than a mere monitoring tool as it also serves as a resource for beginners to venture into the world of composting.

The integration of the system’s accompanying application, Compost-Mate, further simplifies the compost monitoring process – making it more accessible to composting enthusiasts of all knowledge levels.

The Compost-Mate app offers valuable information and guidance tailored specifically for novices to grasp the fundamentals of composting with ease.

Team Girl Code shared that the biggest challenge they faced when working on the Compost Manager was to complete tasks within a limited timeframe.

Girl power

Team Girl Code – comprising Ashley Saran Francis, Nirelly Efua Nigel and Violete Sim – were undeniably ecstatic after being crowned champions of Shell NXplorers 2023 at the national competition held in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 8.

“The valuable lessons learned in this programme have empowered us to look beyond the usual and delve deeper into real-life problems to come up with solutions, which we hope will bring a positive impact to our communities,” said the team members who are grateful for the Shell NXplorers experience.

Highlighting their invention’s ability to tackle food waste challenges, Team Girl Code said: “More people are becoming aware of the fact that the world’s population is constantly increasing, which causes a dramatic surge in food waste.

“If we don’t make a conscious effort to reduce food waste, future generations will be faced with the daunting task of managing enormous landfills, which could cause more harm than good, especially if we don’t take preventive measures now.

“That’s why we developed an innovative solution to tackle this issue and to take action before it’s too late.”

Team Girl Code added that their experiences in the Shell NXplorers 2023 programme have provided them with the platform to further develop their STEM knowledge and skills.

“Participating in the programme offers numerous opportunities for growth and development in the field of science and research. It provides practical, hands-on projects that offer real-world experience in conducting experiments and applying theoretical knowledge,” they said.

“The programme and competition allows us to think critically, analyse problems and develop innovative solutions to help solve real-world problems.

“It’s an excellent opportunity to gain practical experience, develop essential skills and have a better understanding of what’s going on in the industry.

“Exposure to diverse projects and solutions can also broaden our perspectives, encouraging more innovative thinking.”

Team synergy

Team Girl Code said that their journey in this programme hadn’t always been smooth sailing.

Nirelly shared that time management was initially a major issue for herself and her teammates.

“During our time working on the project, completing tasks within a limited timeframe proved to be the biggest challenge,” she said.

“We were able to overcome this by implementing effective strategies such as organising our schedules, breaking down larger tasks and delegating work amongst ourselves.”

Violete said the team was able to address time management issues with clear and effective communication.

“I believe that effective communication is the most crucial aspect of teamwork. It ensures that everyone is on the same page to share ideas, address concerns and collectively work towards our common goal,” she said.

Ashley highlighted the importance of “learning from mistakes” to further improve their Compost Manager invention and grow individually as well.

“Through this experience, I learned that mistakes make us stronger. Now, I am not afraid of problems and would find ways to fix them,” she said.

Shell NXplorers

The level of ingenuity and skills that the participating students showed during their time in the programme certainly impressed Shell Malaysia country chair and Upstream Malaysia senior vice-president Siti Hurrairah Sulaiman.

“It’s really inspiring to see the students in our Shell NXplorers programme facing obstacles with resilience and collaborating to overcome them – in their pursuit to leverage innovation in designing solutions that will potentially address the major global challenges the world faces,” she said.

“Their courage in challenging the norm and thinking critically towards a sustainable future demonstrates that our youth are instrumental in shaping a brighter future for our country.”

With the support of the Education Ministry, Shell NXplorers Malaysia has worked with over 3,000 secondary school students from 25 schools across Malaysia since its inception in 2017.

Shell Malaysia has also collaborated with the Education Ministry and launched the self e-learning NXplorers STEM module on the ministry’s DELIMa portal, which provides access to over 2.5 million secondary school students nationwide.

Click here for more information on Shell NXplorers Malaysia.