Twenty public schools have progressed to the final stage of the Department of Education’s award-winning Game Changer Challenge in Parramatta from November 5-7.

The real-world, ‘wicked problem’ students have been asked to solve this year is to ‘make life better for all without harming the planet’.

“The Game Changer Challenge encourages students to come up with a unique idea, develop it into a workable concept and deliver a compelling sales pitch to industry experts,” Department of Education Secretary Murat Dizdar said.

“The competition showcases the creativity and passion of our incredibly talented public school students across the state as they tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing our world today.”

A record number of submissions were received this year, with more than 400 teams entering.

Students from Armidale Secondary College are continuing to develop their concept of an online Emergency Room that rural and remote patients can use to access medical advice and even telehealth before making the long trip to the nearest hospital.

Bowral High School qualified for the grand final with their proposal for an app that educates people about the ongoing risks of per- and polyalkyl substances, a group of approximately 4000 chemicals otherwise known as PFAS.

The app would identify location hotspots and encourage donations to fund research.

In the primary school category, Bonnet Bay Public School will carry the baton for the Shire with their idea for a fungus compost bin that breaks down fabrics.

The two key elements of the Game Changer Challenge are ‘design thinking’ and the ‘wicked problem’.

Design thinking methodology is a human-centred approach to solving complex problems and focuses on empathy and collaboration.

A wicked problem is difficult to solve due to incomplete, contradictory, and changing factors.

UNICEF Australia delivered the 2024 wicked problem which is inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 9 to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation.

Just last month, the 2023 Game Changer Challenge was recognised for exceptional design and innovation as a Gold Winner in the Good Design Australia Awards – Social Impact Category.

The 2024 Game Changer Challenge is supported by Winc., Rothfield, UNICEF Australia, ABC Education, Adobe, Amazon Web Services, Arludo, ARUP, Canva, CD-Soft Educational Resources, Education Perfect, Engineering Ingenuity, EY, Food Ladder, HP Australia, IBM, JSL Advisory, KPMG, Macquarie Bank, Makedo, Mott MacDonald, Powerhouse Museum, Terracycle, Think Different Anyday, Tata Consulting Services, The Ed Institute, TOMRA Cleanaway, The University of NSW and Woolworths.

Visit the Game Changer Challenge website for more information:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/schooling/schooling-initiatives/game-changer-challenge