SCIENCE 2020 goes virtual via Minecraft

Siti Aisah delivering her speech through her Minecraft avatar during the event.

KUCHING, Oct 25: Over 70 young, creative and scientific Sarawakian minds took part in various associated challenges and competitions at Sarawak Community Innovation Engineering Competition Exhibition (SCIENCE) 2020.

Sarawak Energy Berhad senior vice-president for corporate services Siti Aisah Adenan said the event this year which was held virtually via Minecraft, is a fitting theme in accordance with the current situation of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“In line with our social investment pillars, Sarawak Energy is also powering young minds through various initiatives focusing on education and young people, including providing scholarships, bursaries and trust funds, and supporting other educational development programmes,” she revealed in a statement today.

SCIENCE 2020 By Sarawak Energy, Powering Young Minds, taking place in the virtual world of Minecraft.

At the same time, Siti Aisah also encouraged participants to continue cultivating their interest in science and engineering as it would help them get a better grasp of how their surroundings work.

“It would help them to make sense of the world around, and make it work for them too,” she added.

SCIENCE 2020 which is organised by The Learning Curve (TLC) and sponsored by Sarawak Energy, was first held in 2018, targeting creative young people with an interest in science and mechanics besides aiming to encourage interest and innovative thinking in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

“This year’s event, themed with “education in the new normal”, included a science and robotics carnival and a STEM project showcase set in a three-dimensional virtual (world) at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), saw a total participation of 22 teams from six primary and 12 secondary schools from Kuching and Miri,” the statement read.

A virtual group photo was taken with all the participants of SCIENCE 2020 by Sarawak Energy.

SJK (C) Stampin won the first prize of RM500 under the Primary School category with their ‘Dancing Floor’ project, followed by first runner up SJK (C) Chung Hua No. 4, winning RM300, with their ‘Dance Floor’ project, while Tunku Putra HELP Primary School received RM200 as the second runner-up with their project, ‘Escape Room’.

In the Secondary School category, SMK Batu Lintang won first place for ‘Mission to Mars’, receiving RM700, followed by SMK Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Gapor in second place who won RM500 for their ‘TNT Mining Contraption’ project, and SMK Green Road received RM300 for their third place victory with ‘Item Sorter’.

Meanwhile, the Agent Race and Agent Maze categories were won by students from SMK Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Gapor and Tunku Putra HELP International School. The contest required participants to navigate virtual robots on a race track through a 3D maze. — DayakDaily