Four Nigerian students of Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha, Anambra State have emerged winners of the University of Delaware Global Award for secondary schools during the semi finals of the competition in the country.
The Nigerian team from Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha, emerged seventh in the overall competition held virtually and received a cash prize of $1, 500 and promissory of international mentorship for 10 years.
The Nigerian team competed along with students from Republic of China, United State of America, Singapore and other nationalities.
Mr Ifiok Bernard, Head of Communication, House of Diamond Community Initiative, partners of the University of Delaware Global Award disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Thursday.
Bernard said 21 teams from across the country entered for the competition, and Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha emerged winner.
He said that the four students who made the country proud are: Iwuno Chisom Vivian, Nnaji Mmesoma Stephanie, Okechukwu Amara Racheal and Okoye Chidimma Maryjane.
He said the representatives of the Queen of the Rosary College came first in the competition after presenting an invention called, “Queen’s Lab app”, a virtual science laboratory which would enable students interested in sciences in senior secondary one to three, to study experiments with ease.
The Head of Communication added that apart from the $1, 500, the University of Delaware, United States of America also presented a cash award of $250 to the winners.
He said that the competition was meant for secondary school students to boost the entrepreneurial spirit in teenagers.
“Diamond Challenge is a high school entrepreneurship competition. It is a competition that brings together teenagers from classes between JSS 3 and SSS 3 who are vested with innovative business ideas.
“It is not only students with ideas, but those who are currently running those ideas.
“The Competition provides entrepreneurship education and funding to winners, platform where they can access materials to grow their businesses and seasoned professionals who the young people can link up with to expand their ideas.
“Diamond Challenge is far beyond textbook knowledge, it stretches beyond classroom aptitude. It tests for creative innovation that will solve tangible world problems, ” Ifiok said.
He said that this year’s event became the third time the University sponsored the competition in the country.
He regretted, however, that due to insecurity in the country, the competition could not hold in one of the northern states as was initially planned.
