11th high school BioCon brings joy of learning to youngsters

The 11th BioCon, or bio-creativity contest, for high school students was held on October 20, 2018. This year, 14 teams from ten high schools joined the competition to develop learning materials regarding life and the natural world for elementary and middle school students. After five months of hard work, the teams gathered at Tokyo Tech's Suzukakedai Campus to present their creations.

As in previous years, presentations by high school students were thought out carefully. Some were laced with clever humor to provide additional enjoyment for the audience, who followed each presentation with a plethora of questions.

Testing out learning materials

After the presentations, elementary school students had the chance to test out new materials in booths set up by the creators. Many had devised games to provide the children with a fun yet challenging way to learn. Some youngsters learned the secrets of hair perming with the help of picture books, while others stepped in the shoes of ants in search of different scents. High schoolers also tried out each other's creations, providing additional motivation for future studies.

Otawara High School for Girls victorious

After deliberation by judges and voting by booth visitors, the team from Tochigi Prefectural Otawara High School for Girls — Silky Smooth — was awarded first place for their efforts. As their name suggests, the team provided a clear, informative overview of how hair perming, coloring, and hairstyling in general works. Silky Smooth also took home the Yokohama City Board of Education Award.

Congratulations to the winners and all the participants for their outstanding efforts. The Tokyo Tech community is already looking forward to seeing the fresh ideas that emerge in next year's contest.

Bio Creative Staff

This event was organized by Bio Creative Staff, a Tokyo Tech student club which aims to spread awareness regarding the biological sciences. The club members acted as teaching assistants, providing advice throughout the project.

• BioCon 2016 for high school students brings all ages together | Tokyo Tech News
• Bio Creative Staff (Japanese)

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