The LUMA Centre Finland network awarded the best science and technology projects for children, young people and learning communities on Wednesday 9th of June at the International StarT Gala.
The International LUMA Start Awards were presented for the fifth time this year. As in the year before, the gala took place as a virtual live broadcast. In the gala, the International LUMA Start Award 2021 award was presented to the three best natural sciences, math or technology-related project done by children and young people around the world. The International LUMA Start Education Award was presented to three learning communities for best educational practice in relation to the implementation of interdisciplinary, research-based and phenom-based teaching. Winners were awarded in addition to prizes a trip to Finland. The prize trip will take place due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation in June 2022.
The International LUMA StarT Awards went to:
- Tunisia: Euch Zitoun,
- Turkey: FOR “YOU” – SUSTAINABEE- BY ARI SCHOOLS
- Finland: Upper secondary students’ climate calculator for greenhouse gas emissions.
The StarT honorary jury consisting of Prof. Maija Aksela (chair person); Prof. Miia Rannikmäe from University of Tartu, Estonia and Associate prof. Coral Campbell from Deakin University, Australia found the choice incredibly challenging due to the high level of practices and projects. The winning projects took off from real questions and thoughts of children and young people. The projects included cooperation both within their own learning community and also with outsiders. The videos and learning diaries of the projects were first-rate and carefully done.
The International LUMA Start Education Awards went to:
- Forssan kuvataidekoulu, Finland: Manufacture of drawing charcoal
- Liangfeng primary schoolille, China: A PBL Course Exploring Ancient civilization
- Colégio Valsassina, Portugal: ValsaBIO
The creators of these practices Liangfeng primary school; João Dias, Mariana Marques and Frederico Valsassina Amaral; Maikku Aho and Teija Lauronen had demonstrated interdisciplinary and innovative work in their practices. The StarT honorary jury described the practices as pragmatic, inventive and versatile. The jury valued interdisciplinarity, collaboration, and the active inclusion of children and young people in the winning practices.
The public’s favourites were also rewarded in the gala. Public’s favourites were Water Rationalization System by WRS youth team from Jordania and The educational program towards a sustainable society by Aldur Almanthour School from Jordania. You can read more about the public’s favourites here.
In the 2020-2021 season a total of 830 project work and 680 educational practices took part in StarT. The joy of learning was shared by 1420 learning communities, 5580 teachers and 14,150 children and young people. This season has reached it’s end but luckily the new season starts right away! The new season comes with two different competitions: the Nord StarT climate change competition in the autumn season and the International LUMA Start Competition in the spring 2022.
