Secondary school students in Kota Kinabalu recently participated in a coding programme organized by Yayasan Petronas. The programme, called Powering Knowledge – Yayasan Petronas Coding4All (YPC4All), aims to encourage students to use their creativity, science, and technology skills to solve specific problems. About 60 students from SMK St Peter Telipok and SMK Perempuan Likas had the opportunity to showcase their inventions and ideas on August 4. Some of the ideas presented included motion detection sensors to prevent cattle theft and a smart window that automatically opens and closes based on local weather forecasts.
During the competition, the students presented their ideas to a panel of judges, and the automated sensing window was named one of the winners. One of the participants, Mohammad Aman Shah, who was part of the smart window application team from SMK St Peter Telipok, explained that their invention aimed to provide peace of mind to people who left their windows open while being away from home. He mentioned that the coding programme not only taught them coding skills but also helped them understand the importance of group work and communication in their projects.
By pitching their solutions to the judging panel, the students demonstrated critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity, which are essential skills for their future success. The coding programme was organized by Yayasan Petronas in collaboration with the Education Ministry through its Bahagian Pengurusan Sekolah Harian, with Petrosains serving as the implementation partner.
Shariah Nelly Francis, the Chief Executive Officer of Yayasan Petronas, highlighted that this programme introduced students to technology as part of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) initiative. It aimed to prepare students and nurture their interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, as the field offers a growing number of career opportunities. The programme began in July 2022 and will continue until August 2023, involving 35 trainers and a target of 210 Form One students from seven schools.
The participating schools include SMK Impian Emas and SMK Bandar Uda Utama in Johor, SMK Tan Sri Mohamed Rahmat in Johor, SM St. Peter Telipok and SMK Perempuan Likas in Sabah, and SMK Bandar Samariang and SMK Pending in Sarawak. According to Shariah, the finale event of the programme provided a platform for students to apply the 4Cs they had learned and showcase their results. It also included a session for students to interact with their STEM Idol, which allowed them to gain insights and knowledge about STEM careers.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
