Global Climate International Environment Project Olympiade

26 countries, 146 projects, over 200 participants, 5 categories, and 6 students. The Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa students represented Kenya well, earning 1 gold and 2 silver medals out of the 5 possible categories at the recent Golden Climate International Environmental Project Olympiad, held in Nairobi from Tuesday 29^th April to Friday 2^nd May. 

The Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, an education centre that promotes holistic learning and international leadership participated in the fourth annual edition of the Golden Climate Science Competition, held by the Light Academy Schools in Nairobi. 

The competition was focused around the theme of environments and sustainable development this year, in a bid to provide a golden climate for a golden generation, and was divided into five categories including engineering, environment, energy, agriculture and the junior category for younger participants. 

After coming in first place in three out of the four open categories, and third in the junior category at the national competition in Mombasa, the Aga Khan Academy students had the privilege of representing Kenya on the international stage. Yasin Ghani, of Grade 10 entered in the junior category, created a solar powered plane that could be used for farming purposes around the country. Maxwin Omondi and Shivam Vyas of DP1 entered in the energy category and created a prototype of electricity generation through a magnetic field. Magdalena Gakuo and Cindy Makau of Grade 10 entered in the agriculture category and created an organic pesticide. Karishma Bhagani of DP1 entered in the engineering category and created a cost effective water purifier made from traditional elements. 

The international round was very competitive with a total of 26 countries represented under each of the categories during the fair. Students from USA, Germany, Bosnia, Nigeria, South Africa and Brazil among many others attended the science fair to showcase their work and compete with fellow students. Although the competition was healthy and challenging, the students most importantly enjoyed the experience of meeting new students and engaging in intellectual discussions at the fair. The students’ efforts were rewarded with a gold medal being won by Karishma Bhagani in the engineering category, silver medals being won by Magdalena Gakuo and Cindy Makau in the agriculture category, and a silver medal won by Yasin Ghani in the junior category.  Also, the engineering project received an invitation to attend a conference in Turkey, to show case their research work. 

Upon speaking to the students, most of them credited their victory to their hard work, and the assistance from their supervisors, Mr. Godfrey Kokeyo and Mrs. Alice Ndungu, the biology teachers at the Academy. In addition, all students have or will complete the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP). As part of the MYP, students must engage in a Personal Project, a culminating activity of their MYP experience. Through this project, students learnt self – management, research, and thinking and presentation skills necessary to be successful at the science competition. Overall, it was an enriching experience, and such science fairs are indeed the ideal manner in which a golden climate and a sustainable future can be achieved.