Communication - Presse
Romanian students awarded at STEMEduHack 2.0
A team of students – Antonia Bohotici, Matei Gampe and Erik Szekely – from the Marmatia Technological High School in Sighetu Marmatiei, led by Prof. Anuta Bologa, ranked 3rd in JA Europe’s hackathon conducted with the support of Johnson & Johnson.
22 teams from 10 countries – Moldova, Spain, Cyprus, Russia, Czech Republic, Romania, Israel, Slovakia, Serbia and Portugal – participated in the second edition of the competition, held online 28-29 January. The challenge was to develop an innovative idea that would promote sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry through interventions in the fields of production, packaging, instruction leaflets, waste management, distribution and supply chain.
“My desire, that of my colleagues and of all the participants, to find creative solutions, comes from the need to discover effective ways to help our planet heal“, stated Matei Gampe.
Applying a mix of entrepreneurial skills in the STEM fields – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, the team coordinated by Prof. Anuta Bologa developed a project that aims to replace the plastic packaging of a dental hygiene product with plant capsules, having as main result a reduced environmental pollution. The small size of the capsules provides simpler transportation and ease of use due to the administration of an effective single dose.
"Not only did we win third place, but we also gained experience and self-confidence. This contest has shown me that anything is possible in life if you really put your mind to it. We are glad to have been able to represent Romania and make you proud!”, said Antonia Bohotici.
Her colleague, Erik Szekely, added: “It was an interesting, yet intense experience at the same time. I would say it was really challenging considering we had 24 hours to finish the project and present the idea to the jury. Through teamwork and organization, we managed to achieve a well-structured and realistically thought-out innovation.”
Junior Achievement Europe posted the awards announcement on its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/79863788373/posts/10158923977943374/
STEMEduHack is part of the WiSTEM²D: Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Manufacturing, and Design project, launched by Johnson & Johnson in 2015, that aims to foster girls’ interest in STEM²D fields or careers, generally considered to be preferred by boys.
More info about the project: https://www.stem2d.org/; https://jar.ro/wistem2d
About WiSTEM2D
Developed by Johnson & Johnson and internationally launched in 2015, in strategic partnership with the Smithsonian Science Education Center, Junior Achievement Worldwide and FHI360, the WiSTEM²D project aims to increase the number of girls who choose to pursue STEM²D related careers and to inspire future generations of engineers, researchers and professionals to commit to these career paths for the long term. The program is already underway in countries such as Ireland, Japan, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Singapore and the United States.
Starting with the 2018-2019 school year, the WiSTEM²D project is carried out in Romania with the financial support of Johnson & Johnson Romania and its volunteers.
Find more information about the international program at: https://www.jnj.com/wistem2d.
About Johnson & Johnson
At Johnson & Johnson, we believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities and forward progress. That’s why for more than 130 years, we have aimed to keep people well at every age and every stage of life. Today, as the world’s largest and most broadly-based healthcare company, we are committed to using our reach and size for good. We strive to improve access and affordability, create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere. We are blending our heart, science and ingenuity to profoundly change the trajectory of health for humanity. Learn more at www.jnj.com. Follow us at @JNJNews.
About Junior Achievement (JA) Romania
Junior Achievement Romania, a non-profit organization founded in 1993, is a member of JA Worldwide® USA and JA Europe. Junior Achievement is the largest international organization focused on implementing entrepreneurial, economic, financial, STEM, career guidance, health and life skills education programs. JA’s programs are delivered to 40 countries in Europe and over 100 countries around the world. JA Romania’s “learning by doing“ and “project based“ programs reach more than 230,000 students in over 1,700 Romanian schools annually, being developed in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the educational institutions and with the financial support of the business community.
In 2019, Junior Achievement celebrated its centennial and in 2020, the organisation ranked 7th in NGO Advisor’s “Top 500 NGOs in the World“.
For more information about Junior Achievement Romania’s programs and projects, go to:
