Have an idea for the next 鈥榖ig thing?鈥� Think you can improve an existing system? Pssst鈥�. You don鈥檛 need to be an established innovator to make that a reality! Reach out, wants to hear from you!
While on her family farm in Abbotsford, 13-year-old Mac Dykeman realized something needed to be done about the injury and mortality rates of baby chicks in transport. So she set out to design a better shipping container to keep day-old chicks warmer and protected from being crushed. That cardboard container idea made her one of five finalists to present at the 2019 . Since presenting, Mac has been working with the Ministry of Agriculture to make her shipping container standard practice and save lives!
Innovation opportunities aren鈥檛 limited by geography or resources
Science and technology advancements happen all around us and you don鈥檛 have to have deep funding or live in a large urban centre like Silicon Valley to make a difference. Your technology could be inexpensive, like Dykeman鈥檚 ; use chemistry, like Prince Rupert鈥檚 Aaliyah Mahboubi, who developed a system to harvest electricity from bog bacteria; or improve healthcare, like Victoria鈥檚 Nicolas Fedrigo, who redefined Spinal Fusion procedures.
鈥淭he innovators last year blew my mind,鈥� says Madeleine Guenette, Executive Director of the Science Fair Foundation of BC. 19-year-old grand prize winner Ray Liu redeveloped 3D printing to reduce waste, while 17-year-old Natasha Burgert got us moving with a solar-powered transportation alternative.
Invention vs. innovation: what鈥檚 the difference?
Where invention creates products or processes from scratch, innovation takes existing inventions and improves them or seeks new uses for the technology. Look around you. Is there something you use in your everyday life that doesn鈥檛 work as well as it could? Through research, experiments, and problem-solving, you can make it better!
Submit your idea to the for mentorship, workshops and industry engagement while vying for a place on stage to pitch your innovation live in Vancouver. Finalists get to pitch to industry, investors and supporters in June.
鈥淲e encourage young people from across the province and Yukon to flex their creative muscles and think beyond science stereotypes. Maybe your innovation is making things more accessible or using existing technology in a new way. Science really is for everyone!鈥� Guenette says.
Submitting your idea is simple! Fill out and submit the online and a 30-second cellphone selfie video to kick things off.
Your selfie video should include:
- Your name
- Where you鈥檙e from
- Your age
- Your brilliant innovation
- What makes your innovation special, and a perfect choice for the Showcase
鈥淪how us you鈥檙e enthusiastic about your solution!鈥� Guenette says. 鈥淪how us why it鈥檚 important, and why it鈥檚 important to YOU.鈥�
The deadline is fast approaching to enter this year鈥檚 showcase. Start working on your video today! You have until April 30 to register and submit your selfie video. Finalists will be announced in May for the June Showcase in Vancouver. Entrants will be judged in three separate age categories: ages 12-15, ages 16-19, and ages 20-24. Visit for tips and inspiration!
