The Fresh Start team from Bundaberg Christian College (BCC) were announced winners of the 2024 Mayor’s Telstra Innovation Awards (MTIA) with their Food Sense app taking first place in the competition.
The integrated app, designed by team members Ebonny Michael, Faith Berry and Marc Hawkins, aims to address the increasing issue of food intolerance by helping households cater for dietary restrictions in a more time-efficient and cost-effective way.
The idea saw them take home the top prize valued at over $3000, including $2000 towards developing their concept and six months of ongoing mentorship from Queensland University Technology Senior Research Assistant Vibhor Pandey.
Second place was awarded to Kepnock State High School’s Timebank team and Bundaberg State High School took third place with Sip Smart.
The awards aim to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship by helping students in the Bundaberg Region take their big technology ideas to the next level with specialist advice from local experts.
Bundaberg Region Mayor Helen Blackburn said she had been impressed with the range of ideas presented and the collaborative spirit showcased by the students involved.
“The Mayor’s Telstra Innovation Awards is a wonderful way to highlight the great ideas that come from the young people in our region and to nurture them through the process of developing them,” Mayor Blackburn said.
“Teams this year have demonstrated impressive problem-solving potential and it’s exciting to think that they will be our future leaders and entrepreneurs.”
A Fresh Start for Food Sense app
BCC student and Fresh Start team member Marc Hawkins said the win had inspired them to take their idea even further.
“When our team won, it was incredibly motivating,” Marc said.
“Having the support from others, it made me feel even more confident in making our idea a real thing.”
He said their inspiration had come from a fellow teammate who had personal experience with the challenges that come from different dietary demands.
“When we spoke about real life issues that need a solution, we agreed that this was a significant problem that faced many households,” he said.
“We also really like the idea that if we could solve the problem then so many families would benefit from a household that was less stressed and family mealtimes could be happier for everyone.”
Marc said he had enjoyed being part of the program and the team planned to travel to Brisbane to meet with experts who could help them explore the potential of the Food Sense app.
“My favourite part about being in the program was making friends with students who go to other schools in Bundaberg and hearing about their brilliant ideas that has the potential to change the world,” he said.
“I think it is important to encourage local youth to participate in events such as this since they will be the adults of the future.
“Welcoming the fresh and wild imagination of youth by including us in future planning would be very beneficial to any community.
“You’d be surprised what us teenagers can discover!”
Bundaberg Regional Council was proud to partner with Telstra, CQUniversity, TAFE Queensland, Community Lifestyle Support (CLS) MAKI SPACE, Jamie Olsen, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland Computers, Regional Business HQ, The Generator and Ulton to deliver the 2024 MTIA.
For more information on the MTIA, click here.
