A trio of Playford students have taken home top honours at the STEMSEL Competition during the 2025 Royal Adelaide Show, after showcasing their creativity, teamwork and innovation.
Their projects impressed judges and highlighted the emerging talent and potential of young people across the City of Playford and in total, about 15 students took part in the competition.
In preparation for the competition, STEM Workshops were hosted by the City of Playford and facilitated by STEMSEL Foundation and JOAIIK at Northern Sound System.
The workshops were delivered in Term 2 and Term 3, and followed by five additional weekend sessions.
These sessions provided young people in our community with practical STEM skills and led directly to their participation in the Royal Adelaide Show STEM Competition.
The competition created an opportunity for participants to showcase their projects.
The students' projects explored AI, robotics, renewable energy and IoT applications, showing how science and technology can be applied to solve real-world challenges.
For many, it was a chance to gain recognition for their creativity and problem-solving skills.
Three students came away with standout results, including Kachi Okoro-Jacob who took out first place in the Gaming Category with his Basketball Game Project, Tara Luang won first place in the Innovation Category for her Smart Greenhouse Guardian Project, and the Oluwatimileyin family secured third place in the Sustainability Category for their Hydroponic Project.
The Nigeria Acting High Commissioner to Australia, Amb. Jane Adams, attended the competition to congratulate students and highlight the importance of international STEM partnerships. Her presence reinforced the global relevance of the skills and achievements on display.
Mayor Glenn Docherty believes the competition highlights the role education plays in shaping the leaders of tomorrow.
"These students are not only developing impressive technical projects, but they are also developing the confidence, teamwork and problem-solving skills that will help them become the future leaders of our community," Mayor Docherty said.
Mayor Docherty also believes partnerships are critical to strengthening education outcomes.
"By investing in education and creating opportunities like this, we're helping young people in Playford unlock their potential. These experiences inspire confidence, spark career pathways and nurture the innovators and leaders who will shape our city's future," he said.
The experience has already opened doors for many participants, with students now looking toward further competitions, scholarships and ongoing mentorship opportunities. Beyond the awards, they gained skills in coding, critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration - skills that will serve them in school, future study and careers.
The City of Playford, NSS and STEMSEL will continue to support local students with further STEM workshops and community programs in Term 4, ensuring more young people can benefit from these opportunities.
