Schools

Woodinville Teens Team Up to Compete in WSU's Imagine Tomorrow

A group of high school friends created a 3-D computer model to green up campus to compete for the $5,000 prize.

A group of entrepreneurial juniors at banded together to create a 3-D computer model to enter into Washington State University’s Imagine Tomorrow competition.

The five friends, Andrew Munsell, Jean Sung, Sei Unno, Erica Taicz, Mallika Singh joined forced last December and created a virtual school that would be both energy conscious and financially smart. Dubbed “Building Support for Green,” they entered their project into the competition scheduled for Friday, May 20.

WSU‘s Imagine Tomorrow competition challenges high school students to develop new ways to support society’s transition to alternate energy sources. Students must research complex topics and then innovate technologies, designs, or plans to mobilize behavior. The winning entry receives $5,000.

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Team member Erica Taicz said heard about the competition after taking the SATs.

“I was being sent a bunch of emails from colleges and universities about different programs they offer to high school students,” Erica said. “I happened to open this one from WSU, and I couldn't pass up on the opportunity to form a team of really talented students.”

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Sei is passionate about sustainable living and was already involved in environmental awareness work though Woodinville High’s Earth Club. Team member Jean is the team math whiz. Andrew handles the tech side of the project, while Mallika and Erica organized the team’s entry into the competition. Science teacher Jennifer Veterane is advised the team.

“We've all known each other since junior high if not elementary,” Erica said. “Sei, Jean, and I are all taking honors chemistry together, and Mallika and Andrew are taking AP biology together. Most of us are interested in pursuing careers in science through medicine.”

The team was challenged to create a project that was "multidisciplinary collaboration,” meaning it had to address two different energy efficient aspects. The students settled on an idea to create a model of a virtual school that would be both energy conscious and financially smart, Erica said.

“One of the pressing issues with green technology or alternatives is that it doesn't always result in instant monetary gratification once implemented,” she said. “So people are hesitant to change over. Our idea was to be able to express that there are certain changes we could make to our school that would in fact be beneficial to reducing Co2 emissions, cutting costs over time, and motivate students of the school to start thinking about how every change can impact our planet.”

For example, solar panels in Western Washington would not be as profitable as they would in the eastern part of the state. So the team looked at energy efficient technologies that made sense here.

“Say piezoelectric panels installed under main walkways and stairs that would collect energy from both the pressure of rain falling on the ground and the thousands of people walking through the school each day,” Erica explained.

The second part of the project was to test if it could be understood by the uninitiated alternative energy enthusiast.

“We arranged visits with our former science teacher at Timbercrest Junior High and former Elementary Advanced Placement teacher at ,” Erica said. “We designed some creative ways to share our ideas during our visits through demos and lessons, including bubble wrap and exploding cans of methane. The fifth grade classroom we visited at Bear Creek could have probably gone on for hours brainstorming creative ways to use innovative technology such as piezoelectricity, solar, and static energy. It was definitely a rewarding experience.”

 

 

 


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