Toowoomba Region Mayor Paul Antonio has launched the 2019 Mayor’s Telstra Innovation Awards. Mayor Antonio said the Awards, held in Toowoomba for the second year, highlight the importance of science, technology, engineering and maths.
“The Innovation Awards have broadened in focus from just technology to innovation,” Mayor Antonio said. “The awards are open to secondary students in years 9 to 12 across the Toowoomba Region to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, help students to improve their problem-solving skills and to take their big technology ideas to the next level.”
Telstra, TAFE Queensland, USQ and TSBE are partnering with the awards this year, with $10,000 in prizes up for grabs including an exclusive guided tour of Telstra’s Customer Insight Centre in Sydney for the winning team. The Toowoomba Region has rich traditions in technology and innovation and bold ambitions for its local students. The Mayor’s Telstra Innovation Awards builds on the region’s ambitions for the future and encourages students to start thinking today about the possibilities of tomorrow. “We’re looking for a new and creative use of technology or a new innovative idea – it could be a new app, new concepts in social media, gaming technology or robotics. A single idea can change the world. I am confident that our students have the ability and the ingenuity to make a difference and play a major role in ‘the next big thing’. It could even be a revolutionary new idea for transport, health, agriculture, security, conservation, construction, energy or recreation,” the Mayor said.
Last year’s inaugural winner, Toowoomba Christian College, designed a smart-watch to help young people manage and monitor their anxiety. “It is extremely important that our students, the leaders of tomorrow, are able to build the skills and confidence in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics that will be vital in securing the knowledge jobs of the future,” Mayor Antonio said. “Council hopes to work with our partners to continue to deliver this excellent initiative into the future.”
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