The AJYELN Malaysia Fellows, Team BeachBud joined in the PBL-STEM Antarabangsa 2023 last Aug. 21-25 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. PBL-STEM Antarabangsa, which stands for Problem-Based Learning in STEM at the International Level, is a gathering that brings together young innovators from across Malaysia and around the world to present their projects aimed at addressing real-world challenges. This program fosters creativity, problem-solving abilities, intelligence, and curiosity in students, igniting their enthusiasm for STEM subjects, and encourages sharing of ideas and cultivating a global perspective. The event was organized by SMK Aminuddin Baki and the Malaysian Young Scientist Organization (MYSO).
Key Achievements
Better and wider engagement
Through their participation in the PBL-STEM Antarabangsa 2023 event, the team gained strategies for capturing the interest of the audience and sparking curiosity about their project, as well as techniques for delivering presentations that are both easily understandable and informative. Furthermore, they also gained better skills in addressing visitors’ inquiries and doubts effectively, and learned engaging ways to promote their project tailored to their target audience.
Increasing environmental awareness and youth leadership
The team’s participation in the PBL-STEM Antarabangsa 2023 event was a commendable effort to raise awareness about marine plastic pollution and engage with a diverse audience. Their project showcased dedication and commitment to addressing environmental challenges while fostering innovation and creativity.
The team presented a non-functioning prototype (3D model) of BeachUp, which is being developed as a robot that has the ability to collect plastic trash along sand beaches and coastlines. This is the main project that the AJYELN fellows from Malaysia are developing as part of their AJYELN project.
During the exhibition, the team delivered presentations to hundreds of audience participants, mostly attending students and teachers. The presentations were designed to be easy to understand while conveying informative content. The team interacted with students and teachers from their own school, as well as with participants from different schools, states, and even nations. They also had the honor of being visited by VVIPs who showed interest in their project.
The team received valuable feedback during the event, which they can use to improve their current project. Among the feedback received was a recommendation to integrate a functional prototype to elevate the attractiveness of their presentation, a step they are currently actively pursuing and aligning with the AJYELN program’s timeline. The feedback received and lessons learned during the event will undoubtedly contribute to their future success in similar initiatives by building their first functioning prototype robot!
The team was featured on a live presentation on YouTube, which can be accessed via the following link: https://www.youtube.com/live/GmEVZfiiwlM?feature=shared
