Burnside Y12 students take out top prize in community technology solution competition.

Programming Maori Pacifica Potential (PMP) Success for BHS - Developing technological solutions to community problems - Canterbury Winners 2023

Programming Maori Pacifica Potential (PMP) is a competition run by Paiheretia Charitable Trust to find technological solutions to local problems. The competition enlists the help of local mentors from the technology industry of Ōtautahi Christchurch, people from Microsoft and Datacom. Students are tasked in recognising a problem and developing a method that incorporates technology to mitigate or solve the issue.

Every Monday morning since the beginning of Term 2 two of our students Eze Nakaroti and Yash Naicker have been giving up their Monday morning late starts to meet with Raiha their mentor and work collaboratively with x2 students from Kaiapoi High School online and face to face. The guys all attended three wānanga over terms two and three that gave them a further opportunity to collaborate, network and develop their solutions.

This came together in late August when the team were due to pitch their idea to local business leaders. They pitched very well and with their innovative idea to create a gamified solution focussing on the reduction of rubbish and pollution in the local area.They took away the top prize and the opportunity to take their ideas to the National final later on in the year. Added to this Eze Nakaroti also took out the top Rangatahi prize. Well done guys!