Solving the world, one challenge at a time!

Avonside Girls’ High School and Rolleston College have been working with local Ōtautahi businesses to solve challenges together. Using an iNVENTIONATOR creative sprint, five teams of students have taken up equity challenges from the local technology sector. Based at the youth technology makerspace 4C Centre at the YMCA over two days, students used this design process to ideate solutions which they will continue to develop and pitch back to business mentors. 

Our students taking part are: Libby Greaves, Martina van Zijl, Chloe Letoa, Fiona Ariyarudeekul, Milly Carsen, Jorj Biagent, Claudia Wilson, Claudia Henderson and Kamathie Lynn.

Our students were posed with real life wicked problems and worked through two design sprints to explore the issue, brainstorm possible solutions and then go on to design, develop and iterate their designs before pitching them back to industry people.

Claudia squared - Claudia Henderson and Claudia Wilson (Year 11) created a prototype pathway game for young people experiencing mental health challenges so that players could explore pathways and move from darkness to light and also find community through eSports.

WI Tech - Fiona Ariyarudeekul and Milly Carsen (Year 11) teamed up to create a solution to get more girls and young women into digital technology as a career. Their approach included mentors and creating a game and gaming device to learn different aspects of digital technology in a fun way.

GreenCol - Martina van Zijl and Libby Greaves (Year 12) created a multi-pronged solution for people experiencing Irritable Bowel Syndrome so they and medical professionals could monitor their symptoms. They designed a website, a digital tool suitable for people with diverse needs who could not use a computer, and a booklet. Amidst all of this, they branded themselves with a company name, logo, colour scheme and did a pitch that WOW'ed the industry rep. They were invited by Stratos Technology Partners to share their pitch with the rest of the Stratos team and some Australian doctors!