International BIEA STEM Youth Innovation Competition

1st October 202413th January 2025

BIEA Winners 2024

By producing billions of clothes every year, the fast fashion industry is releasing waste and chemicals into our world, polluting and driving species to the brink of extinction.

Children from around the world were invited to enter the competition to design a solution to being both fashionable and sustainable organised by the British International Education association.

The children had to create a detailed report and pass an interview stage to be invited to the final showcase at the new UCl Marshgate campus.

Amazingly, every team entered from Alpha were invited and they presented their ideas to the judges. Some children had specially flown in from America, China, Azerbaijan and Turkey to present their ideas in the final showcase to the judges and it was lovely to see special guests at the final including the Turkish and China’s ambassador was also in.

Therefore, we were completing taken back when Alpha Preparatory school was called up 5 times during the presentations.

‘Tremendous Taylors’, consisting of Sarvesh, Krish and Darsh, received the Emerging Impact award.

‘Brilliant Bamboozlees’, consisting of Ganesh, Eva and Bilal, received the Emerging Impact award.

‘Efficient Engineers’, consisting of Preyian, Ishan and Ewan, received the Emerging Impact award.

‘Fantastic Eco Trio’, consisting of Emily, Aman and Aran, received the third place award.

Finally, just when we thought it was all over, ‘We Mean Green’, consisting of Tanush, Kian and Leah, received second place award.

What an amazing achievement by the children in Year 6

4th November 20214th November 2021

Alpha Prep wins 2nd Prize in the BIEA International STEM Competition 2021

This year’s challenge was to create reusable packaging to reduce plastic waste.

The children had 4 tasks to complete during the competition.

Task 1:

Report writing: Competitors will use the Internet and other secondary sources to research, design and write a report on the ‘reusable packaging’ project.

Task 2:

Design: The design round is a paper-based entry, with competitors producing several concept images of their design and to use scientific testing methods to check if there designs would hold a hot liquid.

Task 3:

Presentation and Evaluation: Competitors, either individually or as part of their team, video a presentation summarising their project, including an evaluation about their project successes and challenges

Task 4:

Online Q&A round: Competitors with the highest marks will be notified whether they have been selected for the live Q&A round. This round will be a remote question and answer session, where the judges will ask the competitor’s questions about the project based on aspects of their report, design and video submissions.

The children found the tasks challenging and difficult but they kept persevering and worked hard to keeping going during this lockdown period.

Well done to this fantastic STEM team.

7th October 202020th November 2020

Alpha Prep Wins 2 Awards at the BIEA STEM Youth Innovation Competition 2020

This years challenge was to create a robot to help keep dangerous areas clean of plastic pollution.

The children had 4 tasks to complete during the competition.

Task 1:

Report writing: Competitors will use the Internet and other secondary sources to research, design and write a report on the ‘Save our shores through STEM’ project, helping clean up plastic from remote mud banks and waterlines through innovative and creative specifications

Task 2:

Design: The design round is a paper-based entry, with competitors producing several concept images of their vehicle designs, including a cartoon-strip of the vehicle in action.

Task 3:

Task 4:

Online Q&A round: Competitors with the highest marks will be notified whether they have been selected for the live Q&A round. This round will be a remote question and answer session, where the judges will ask the competitors questions about the project based on aspects of their report, design and video submissions.

The children found the tasks challenging and difficult but they kept persevering and worked hard to keeping going during this lockdown period.

During the announcements they won the Best Report Award and First Runner-Up award. Well done to the Keeping Mudbanks Clean Team.

4th July 201920th November 2020

Alpha Prep Wins 3 Awards at the International STEM Youth Innovation Competition!

The International STEM Youth Innovation Competition is an event for students under the age of 18, organised by the British International Education Association (BIEA). It aims to raise the level of technological enthusiasm among students from all over the world as well as to stimulate students’ passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The competition builds bridges between science, technological innovation, education, and young people across a variety of industries. 2019 will be the first international competition, with student teams from around the world taking part to design and develop drones in the battle of protecting wild and endangered animals.

Habitat Loss

Over the last hundred years we know of at least 96 species of animals that have gone extinct, that is, lost to this world forever. Humanity has proven itself unable to stem the tide of destruction that it has caused through its actions. Our abuse of the environment has come at a high price as more and more species are added to the critically endangered lists, but there is a weapon in our arsenal that we can use to try to change the future: Technology.

The competition theme in 2019 reflects two major concepts: Technological innovation and conservation of endangered animal species: “Fighting extinction”.

Competition Overview

The STEM teams had to complete 4 challenges. They were”

Report writing: Competitors will use the Internet to research, design and write a report about a drone that can help conserve an endangered animal species.

Innovation and design: Using a budget from BIEA, competitors will buy, modify and fly small drones as proof of concept for their design. Teams are required to video flying according to requirements provided by BIEA.

Oral presentation: Competitors will video a presentation about their drone design.

Live International finals day including:

Mission execution: Flying new drones, competitors will tackle an obstacle course.
Evaluation: Competitors will deliver an evaluation about their project successes and challenges. They will also need to answer the questions raised by the judges.
Work display: Competitors will display their drone project to judges and peers.

Alpha Prep teams won 3 prizes for our age catergory including:

Best Effort Award
First Runner-up and the
Best Drone Flying Award

Quotes

“The overall quality of the reports was astounding, more so when we consider that many young people were submitting reports in a second language. In some cases, the standards of secondary research and innovative experimental investigations to gather primary data for drone specifications were worthy of undergraduates rather than secondary school students.”

Dr Alex Holmes, Lead Competition Judge

“BIEA aims to bring together educators and young people of all ages from around the world who share a passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). We hope our chosen topic will not only illustrate to the audience the importance of technological innovation when it comes to environmental protection, but also inspire the next generation of STEM graduates to put their minds to solving these pressing world issues”.

David Hanson, STEM Chairman, BIEA

“Wildlife is coming under increasing threat from human actions so Born Free is thrilled to be partnering with BIEA on this competition. It’s a chance to help the next generation understand the real-world application of STEM skills. How we can effectively use technology to protect and monitor wildlife populations could be the difference between extinction and survival for some of the world’s most threatened species.”

Laura Gosset, Head of Education, Born Free.

Below are the countries that were involved in the Competition

BIEA (UK)
Infogram

The winners

The winners from Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The £5000 prize was won by three 17 year olds from an international school in Mostar, Bosnia. Their country was ripped apart by war and the effects still linger on in their city, with Serbs and Croats, Christians and Muslims, refusing to work together – so much so that the lads’ attempts to involve Serb and Croat schools in their research were rejected. These young men are so hungry for science and technology, and so desperate to make a difference in their country. They struggled to get the parts delivered for their drone, then one of them had his visa delayed and only a cross-country drive with his dad to the Embassy enabled him to make his first flight and his first visit to England. Parts of Bosnia are still riddled with mines, and their drone project was designed to find a safer way to to monitor wildlife and nature in dangerous areas. Their passion for STEM and their refusal to be put off by all the obstacles in their way were so impressive to the judges – and their joy at winning was wonderful. This is why STEM matters.- Mrs Still.

A Video about the Competition from CGTN (Click the photo to see the video)

An article from First News that we have been featured in

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Please see some photos and video links from the event below

BIEA and TTS have kindly donated £500 of STEM equipment to Early Years and KS1. Thank you BIEA and TTS

A hard challenge of flying a drone through the artifical jungle, taking pictures of as many animals as you can, whilst flying the drone, and getting to the finish line in time.

Team Sea Bale talking to Dr Shaun Fitzgerald! What an honour this is! (The director of the The Royal Institution)

(https://www.rigb.org/about/news/spring-2018/director-announcement)

Teams even flew in from EAST CHINA! Well done for making such an effort for this competition.

This Drone looks like it could even float!

Team Entry from India! What an amazing effort to travel so far. Well done Team IMAGINATORS!

Some amazing fact file SCIENCE boards. Well done TEAM Macau from China.

Team ISLAPS explaining their drone to the judges.

They made this drone using hand made parts and their own 3d Printed designs. Wow! Well done this team all the way from the USA!

TV interview wiht team Nerdology

Great tips given from a real life Drone Pilot.

Dr. Shaun Fitzgerald explaining why STEM is so important.

Team ISLAPPS winning BEST DRONE FLYING awards.

Dr Claudio Sillero – https://www.zoo.ox.ac.uk/people/dr-claudio-sillero

Dr Sillero talking about why it is so imporant to help Wildlife. What an amazing honour to listen to such great Scientists from around the world.

Team Seabale sharing their strengths and weaknesses to the judges. After this introduction they had a Q & A session with the judges. Well done Team Seabale.

Thank you BIEA!

Thank you for all the team members from BIEA and are thoughts are with the teams from around the world that were not able to get VISA’s or have enough money to join us for this special event.