Nov 29, 2014 – PJI was pleased to receive support from USAID to work together with Universitas Siswa Bangsa Internasional (USBI) in staging the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) SMART Lab competition at the University’s premises.

Teams from twelve Jakarta high schools competed for the honour of the Best STEM product and the IDR5,000,000 first prize. All judges, including those representing the Centre for Applied Science and Technology (PPIPTEK), were impressed with the levels of innovation and the products developed by these 15-16 year olds. The winning product consisted of an idea to energise dead batteries with a fuel made from the skin of bananas. The students from SMKN 43 were able to demonstrate that this idea works in front of the judges. Second prize went to students from SMKN 8 who produced a range of ice cream flavours made from carrots, potatoes, cucumbers, and corn. They were also able to provide samples and feedback regarding the taste from their peers was very positive. The third prize went to students from SMKN 1 who had developed a backpack with a solar paned attached enabling backpackers to charge their gadgets while they are travelling. It was a difficult decision to select the winners but the event did prove to us that there is a lot of innovation and creative talent within Indonesian schools.