Year 10 students win the regional section of the competition with their project on sustainability.

Manor Community Academy Year 10 students, Jessica Black, Libby Crawford, Phoebe Macdonald, Owen Grant and Ethan Wain are the proud winners of the North East regional Shell Bright Ideas Competition 2020.

The national, cross curriculum competition is organised by multinational oil and gas company, Shell, for secondary students aged 11-14. Shell run the competition to demonstrate a commitment to a brighter future, whilst helping students to develop a range of skills including creativity, problem solving, team working and innovative thinking.

Manor Community Academy’s team carried out extensive scientific research about how they could improve their local community of Hartlepool. They considered the local beaches, such as Seaton Carew, wanting their solution to address the plastic pollution crisis through a circular economy, as well as saving energy. 


As a result, the team proposed the inventive solution of using genetically-engineered enzymes to break down plastic at the new waste-to-energy plant in Billingham, instead of using vast amounts of heat. Finding alternative ways to reuse plastic promotes the welfare of the environment, creating a safer and greener community – putting the North East region at the forefront of pioneering science.

 

Principal, Lee Kirtley, said, “I am so proud of the tenacity, resilience and creativity our students have shown to win the SHELL Bright Ideas Challenge.

"At Manor Academy, our students understand the importance of STEM careers, both locally and globally. It is brilliant that our students are already starting to think of innovative ways to power our cities in the future and ensure that these are healthy, clean places to live.

"I would also like to extend my thanks to our fantastic members of staff who help to inspire and motivate our students on a daily basis.”