Naga students win big at national-level hackathon ‘Hack to the future- the green edition’

Students of Government High School in Chümoukedima village were awarded ‘Local Creator’ trophy for their presentation on prototype ‘Smart terrace field’ using indigenous knowledge systems with a blend of technology at the national-level hackathon titled ‘Hack to the future- the green edition’ held in Bengaluru from February 16 to the 20^th.

An update from YouthNet informed that students from Karnataka, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Assam, Nagaland, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Haryana took part in the event.

It stated that smart terrace field uses four sensors to protect the fields from animal’s intrusion. It informed that ultrasonic sensor, which detects movement of animals, produces the buzzer sound, while IR sensor, which detects snakes and rats, produces vibration, soil moisture sensor automatically runs according to the soil moisture of the field, and automatic light, which detects darkness, produces light at night.

It mentioned that the student created smart terrace field to ease the burden of their parents because they have seen them suffering from crop failure from the intrusion of wild animals in their field which causes shortage of food supply for the family throughout the year.

Liyen, a Class 10 student of GHS Chümoukedima village, said she tried her hands at electronics despite never having done so before.

“We have lights and fans at home, but learning the circuits and the motors, I got a better idea of how they work,” Liten said.

Another team member, T Molo Phom, said, “All of us worked together on the three sensors and the mentor taught us how to solder the wire. I identified the locations for soldering the components. It is the first time I worked with electronic devices. I wanted to learn more and improvise on the mechanism.”

YouthNet programme facilitator, Hikou Mekrisu said, “I have realised that our people need to start asking questions to our students and really start listening to them and find gems in their words because that is when magic happens.”

Mary Rhi, Science teacher at GHS Chümoukedima who accompanied the students said, “I am grateful to YouthNet and C Amongla, headmistress of GHS Chümoukedima village, for their unwavering support towards the betterment of our children.”

It mentioned that the ‘Hack to the future’ programme initiated by IBM and Quest Alliance was a fabulous opportunity that enabled children to explore, learn and innovate at their own pace with fun and inspiration.

The hackathon was part of the IBM Stem for girls programme designed to encourage problem-solving and an innovation mindset among students. In Nagaland, the programme is being implemented in 69 Government High Schools in Chümoukedima, Dimapur, Kohima, Kiphire, Niuland and Tseminyü by YouthNet in partnership with IBM, department of School Education, government of Nagaland, and Quest Alliance. Dimapur, Feb. 23 (EMN)