Shell NXplorers Sabah cultivates STEM excellence in local youth

THE significance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education is pivotal in preparing the next generation to drive innovation and progress.

Shell Malaysia recognises the importance of STEM and has established many STEM-related initiatives and programmes for students nationwide, such as the Shell NXplorers programme.

Shell NXplorers is an educational programme introducing youth to the complex and creative thinking needed to bring about positive change for future generations.

The programme engages student teams from all over Malaysia to design and develop solutions that address real-world problems and benefit surrounding communities, within the nexus of food-water-energy.

Three regional competitions are organised in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, with winning teams from each region then competing in the national Shell NXplorers Malaysia challenge.

The Shell NXplorers Sabah state winners in this year’s competition were Team W.O.W. (Women of Wisdom) from SMK Pekan Telipok in Tuaran, with Team XO_Leiune from SMK All Saints in Kota Kinabalu as first runner-up.

Both these schools will represent Sabah at the national challenge which will be held in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 8.

Team W.O.W. won the competition with their flood alert system invention – The Alluvione.

Team W.O.W.

Team W.O.W., comprising Iman Batrisyia Syarimin, Siti Nureen Naziha Ismail and Aimi Farisha Roslin, blew away the competition in the Sabah state challenge with their invention – The Alluvione.

The Alluvione is a flood alert system designed to inform communities residing in flood-prone areas about rising water levels in nearby rivers. It provides real-time monitoring of river water levels, allowing communities to stay informed on evolving river conditions and take timely actions in response to the changing water levels.

The invention has several essential components, including an ultrasonic sensor, LED light, siren speaker and a dedicated mobile application.

Team W.O.W. shared that this project hits close to home, as they drew inspiration from learning about the challenges faced by one of their team members’ extended family due to frequent floods.

“Our innovation came from a genuine concern for a real-life problem affecting Aimi’s uncle and his family, who frequently experience the detrimental effects of sudden floods. Seeing the losses they incurred, we felt compelled to come up with a solution,” they said.

“Our goal was to create a device that could minimise the damage, safeguard their home and valuable belongings, as well as provide early flood alerts.”

They add that real-time data can be easily accessed via the mobile application for those with internet or Wi-Fi access.

“For those without access to smartphones, the LCD screen and LED lights provide alternative means of monitoring as well. The lights will display different colours for various water levels and there is also a siren to alert to community about potential flood risks,” said Team W.O.W.

The team members also said that participating in the competition helped them to develop crucial skills.

“The competition provided us with personal growth and skill development, as well as allowing us to gain practical experience and expand our knowledge in STEM, innovation and technology.

“We were able to learn about coding and technology, improve our social and communication skills, develop critical thinking capabilities, and enhance our teamwork skills, which makes us more adaptable for future challenges and opportunities.”

Team XO_Leiune’s EcoSwitch is a light management system engineered to address electricity wastage.

Team XO_Leiune

Team XO_Leiune, comprising Nathylee Faye Jaikol Udar, Addent Aylwin Tan and Nichelle Essabelle James, were awarded first runner-up for their invention, the EcoSwitch.

EcoSwitch is an innovative light management system, specifically engineered to address electricity wastage in real time. It operates by detecting human presence within a room, ensuring that lights are only active when necessary and electricity consumption is minimised.

“The EcoSwitch has so much potential and we’re thrilled that it is aligned with our main intention, which is to help others. We hope to expand on it so that it can be applied to other home electrical appliances,” said Nathylee.

Her team member Nichelle shared that the invention was also created to highlight some of the daily challenges that persons with disabilities (PWD) face.

“EcoSwitch was designed to help those who struggle with forgetfulness to switch lights off and directly reduce their utility bills. But, this innovation also caters to the needs of PWDs, as we aim to spread awareness on accessibility and inclusivity issues,” said Nichelle.

“Those who find it difficult to move around can simply clap their hands to switch the lights on or off. There’s also an option to turn the lights on or off via the mobile application that we have made.”

Addent believes that taking part in the competition invigorated his, and his team members’, interest in STEM.

“I’d like to be a scientist one day. Being in Shell NXplorers has greatly inspired me to gain more interest in STEM fields, as we were able to relate science, mathematics, and design and technology (RBT) as we progressed in the competition.”

Team XO_Leiune also credited their Shell mentors for supporting them throughout the project.

Shell NXplorers Malaysia

Sabah Shell Petroleum Company Ltd general manager Wong Kim Min said that he is delighted with the innovation and creativity that local students possess.

“It’s truly inspiring to see the passion that these students have in being creative and ideating solutions for a better future.

“Shell aims is to nurture our Sabahan talent towards developing the complex and creative thinking needed to bridge the skills gap that our future needs, as they are our future leaders who can lead the world towards a cleaner and more sustainable path,” he shared.

Nine schools competed in the Shell NXplorers Sabah competition such as SMK Badin, SMK St Joseph, SM St Michael, SM La Salle, SM Sung Siew, SMK Pekan Telipok, SMK St John (M), SMK Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu and SMK All Saints.

With support from the Education Ministry, Shell NXplorers Malaysia worked with over 1000 secondary school students from 25 schools across Malaysia.

In Sabah this year, 81 teams consisting of over 260 students participated in the programme, while peer-to-peer coaching was also implemented to share the knowledge with the larger student community of about 12,000 students from all participating schools in Sabah.

To learn more about Shell NXplorers, click here