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16 September 2019
Portsmouth High School girls in Year 8 took part in the IBM Smarter Schools Challenge in a half day workshop at the Southsea school.
The day saw a team from IBM, Hursley introduce students to the information technology company and gave examples of the ways IBM has used their own technology to make the world healthier, less wasteful, more productive and personalized, and more secure.
The girls worked in breakout groups of four, using the theme “Smarter Schools”, to come up with ways of using technology to help Portsmouth High School to become even more environmentally friendly. They brainstormed and created story boards of ideas which they then presented to the year group and judging panel.
One of the ideas of the teams who were shortlisted, was the creation of technology to keep seagulls away from rubbish bins. The team comprised of Evie Crane, Alexandra Dancey, Jules Gaudion and Jessica Hall.
‘We were tasked with thinking about how to better our school environment using some sort of technology,’ said Evie Crane, 12.
‘We came up with the idea of a spring-opening pop-up bin which is dug into the ground, so less likely the seagulls will snatch the litter out of the bins,’ added Alexandra Dancey, 12.
Jules Gaudion, 12, said: ‘We also thought about a mini-sensor which could alert the caretakers to when a bin is full and needs emptying.’
Seagulls in Southsea have plenty of access to free meals from often overflowing bins, in turn encouraging them into urban areas.
‘We are also really conscious that seagulls can take plastic from the bins which is harmful to them,’ said Jessica Hall, 12. ‘So this device would not only be environmentally friendly but make our school an even better place to be.’
The second shortlisted team thought up the creation of an EcoBand which would allow the pupils to record their meal choices and requests in advance to reduce waste in the dining hall and cafe. Both teams will attend a further event to be held at IBM Hursley later in the Autumn Term.
Mrs Jane Prescott, Headmistress, added ‘I am immensely proud of all the girls taking part – their useful thoughts on how to devise a simple device using technology is inspiring.’
