SMK Bintulu Sentinels triumphs at state Shell NXplorers challenge

MIRI (Oct 3): Team Sentinels from SMK Bintulu was crowned as the champion of the Shell NXplorers Sarawak competition, which concluded yesterday.

First runner-up was team Cassano from SMK Baru Bintulu.

Both teams will represent Sarawak at the Shell NXplorers Malaysia challenge, taking place later this year.

“It’s incredibly inspiring to witness the enthusiasm these students bring to creativity and developing solutions for a brighter future. Shell’s goal is to nurture local talent in Sarawak towards fostering innovative solutions for complex problems, which are key in closing the skills gap our future demands.

“These students are our future leaders, capable of guiding the world towards a cleaner and more sustainable path,” said Sarawak Gas, Shell Malaysia Upstream general manager Choong Yen Li at the prize presentation ceremony.

The winning invention ‘DespAir’ by team Sentinels, comprising Anselm Wong Jing Ern, Allyson Yot Linton and Jaynerson Joelee, is an affordable and energy-efficient solution to the air pollution problem.

Using advanced ionising technology, it automatically purifies harmful particles to ensure cleaner air, and the user-friendly app provides real-time monitoring of air quality, temperature and humidity, with built-in alerts to notify users when pollution levels rise.

Combining smart tech, low energy use and affordability, DespAir empowers individuals to protect both their health and the environment.

“We are thrilled to be named state champions and would like to express our gratitude to Shell for offering us this incredible opportunity to learn about integrating thinking, problem-solving and planning.

“Most importantly, we appreciate the chance to collaborate as a team and think creatively to tackle the sustainability challenges our world faces today.

“We are excited to participate in the national challenge and aim to make our state proud,” shared members of team Sentinels.

Team Cassano, comprising Angel Alycia Bran, Khairunnisa Airin Syuhaida Agus and Aiden Belayong Jimmy, invented ‘AFFAL’.

It is a non-profit community app designed to help Bintulu residents compare grocery prices and features seven product categories, each broken down into specific items with prices listed from various grocery stores, allowing users to easily find the best deals in their area.

Meanwhile, the Most Innovative Award was bagged by team Supernova from SMK Asyakirin, Bintulu.

Their invention, ‘ADDETTO’, is a facial recognition system that streamlines attendance for students. Teachers simply upload students’ images into the system, allowing students to scan their faces for automatic attendance recording.

Eight schools made it to the Shell NXplorers Sarawak finals this year, namely SMK Singai, SMK Kidurong, SMK Bintulu, SMK Baru Bintulu, SMK Asyakirin, SMK Lutong, SMK Pujut, and SMK Riam.

The judges of the day were Curtin University Malaysia Faculty of Engineering and Science dean Professor Dr Tuong-Thuy Vu; Assistant District Education Officer of Planning Unit at Miri Education Department Dr Ling Mei Teng; and Choong Yen Li.

Also present at the event were Shell Malaysia’s Corporate Relations for East Malaysia general manager Jonathan Jolly and Shell NXplorers programme head Ganes Kandiah.

Shell NXplorers is a global education initiative designed to empower young people to confront the complex challenges the world today faces.

It equips them with the tools, methodologies and skills necessary to address real-world issues through collaboration, innovation and interdisciplinary approaches, turning them into agents of change.

With support from the Education Ministry, Shell NXplorers Malaysia engaged over 890 secondary school students from 26 schools nationwide.

This year in Sarawak, 84 teams comprising more than 252 students took part in the programme.

The programme also included peer-to-peer sharing to extend knowledge to a wider student community of approximately 900 students across all participating schools in Sarawak.