- Expressions of interest now open for the Minister's Innovation Challenge 2025
- Challenge is part of the Career Learning Toolkit - helping to equip young people to develop innovative solutions in a changing world
- Up to 40 teams of Year 8 students will use design thinking to develop innovative solutions to local issues or problems
- Participants to be supported by a local industry mentor
Education Minister Sabine Winton is calling on Western Australian schools to register their interest to get creative Year 8 students involved in the Minister's Innovation Challenge 2025.
The Challenge, which is now in its fourth year, provides an opportunity for Year 8 public school students across the State to engage in entrepreneurial education and develop innovative solutions to issues they care about.
Over a six-week period, commencing at the start of term 4, school teams from up to 40 public schools will work with an industry mentor to identify a local issue or problem and apply design thinking processes to develop innovative solutions.
Bloom Centre for Youth Innovation, a youth-led, not-for-profit organisation that provides innovation programs to young people, will deliver the Challenge online this year.
The Challenge culminates in an online exhibition announcing the five top-ranked teams who will share in a $35,000 cash prize.
In past years, winning projects have included a mobile-red light filter that helps turtle watchers observe sea turtles at night without disturbing them, developed by students at Christmas Island District High School, and an app created by Bob Hawke College Students that showed the live and predicted status of a local car park.
Last year's winners from Halls Head College designed a 'Freedom Cart', which would allow unhoused persons to have a house on wheels.
Schools are encouraged to nominate for the 2025 Minister's Innovation Challenge by Monday, 4 August: www.education.wa.edu.au/ministers-innovation-challenge
As stated by Education Minister Sabine Winton:
"The Minister's Innovation Challenge is about giving young people the tools and confidence to tackle real-world problems with creativity, collaboration and critical thinking.
"It's inspiring to see Year 8 students developing innovative solutions to issues that they're passionate about in their communities.
"With the support of their schools and industry mentors, students will develop skills through this Challenge that they will carry well beyond school.
"I encourage schools to nominate students to take part in this Challenge and look forward to seeing all the creative ideas they come up with."
