We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2011 – 2012 Biomimicry Youth Challenge.
50 educators registered for the Challenge this year, representing public and private schools, afterschool and out-of-school programs, and home schools from 17 US states, the UK, Australia, France, and Peru.
In April, 32 entries were submitted by 13 of these innovative educators.
Each student participating in the Challenge engaged with the idea of emulating nature and designing something for humans. Many students submitted drawings along with their design descriptions; others submitted photographs and samples of models they created. Some even performed scientific tests to assess their designs, and submitted their data as well. Students worked individually, in pairs, and in teams.
The Youth Challenge enabled these students to be creative, make connections, use scientific thinking, and create presentations. We were absolutely impressed with the quality of the winning entries, and of those receiving Honorable Mentions. We congratulate the students on their achievements, and we recognize and thank the cutting-edge educators who supported and encouraged their students to participate.
Read on for details and pictures of the winning projects!
Winner – Middle School (Challenge to Biology Method)
Pofoxeavertle Coat
Sean Dupre, 5th grade (age 11), St. Anne School, Houston Texas
Sean designed an inexpensive, animal-product-free, all-season coat based on several different organisms well-adapted to live in extreme, or variable, temperatures (the Polar Bear, Arctic Fox, Beaver, and Namibian Beetle). He took design strategies from each organism and created hypotheses as to how they would improve the design of a coat. He tested each hypothesis and collected data which supported his design — a reversible (black and white) coat that utilizes variable amounts of trapped air, along with its changeable color, to be appropriate in a wide range of temperatures.
“After I graduate high school, I would like to get an engineering degree. My goal is to solve some of the earth’s problems before I finish high school. For example, when settlers first came to Texas, they burned wood and buffalo dung for fuel. They were unaware of all the oil beneath their feet. We may be that way right now. There may be potential energy sources all around us and we do not realize it. Using 3.8 billion years of natural solutions, the answer to energy that will not harm the environment may be all around us if we look. I plan to keep looking.”
Winner – High School (Challenge to Biology Method)
Pill-Bug Sledge
Team Astier -Goudian Noe, Brioude Damien, Massot Nicolas, and Martinelli Hugo
Astier High School, Aubenas, Ardeche, France
Team Astier designed a sledge for travel in polar regions (or other extreme conditions) which could be used without fuel and which could protect the traveler and luggage from cold, sun, wind, and other conditions. The team examined several organisms which use conglobation (rolling up) for heat preservation and/or protection (the pill-bug, husky dogs, and hedgehogs.) The pill-bug was chosen as model because it could be studied first-hand. The team examined the “hinging” mechanisms of pill-bugs (they dissected dead ones) and created several designs and prototypes before creating their final model. They also suggested several modular additions and improvements that could be made in the future.
“We all believe that biomimicry is one of the most interesting and efficient ways to innovation. If one of us becomes an engineer later, he will surely use what we learned about biomimicry in his daily work.”
Honorable Mentions – Ask The Planet Category
Sayuri Yamanaka, Azucena Garza, Emily DuFlour
Inside-Out School and Andrews Elementary School, Austin, TX
127 students, many bilingual, created “Thank-the-Planet” art projects and explored the concept of patterns in nature.
Theresa Millard and Phillip Millard
Moor Allerton Preparatory School, Manchester, England, UK
Students created costumes of inspiring organisms and participated in choreographed singing and dancing of Ask The Planet songs as part of a day-long biomimicry event which also included experiments, journaling, and design activities.
Please visit our website to view a slide showof the winners and several recipients of Honorable mentions.
