Winners of the Innoschool 2010 innovation event for school pupils

The Innoschool Innovation Event is part of the Innofinland Project. The aim of Innoschool is to promote creativity, inventiveness, enterprise and a sense of achievement among comprehensive school pupils and vocational institute students.

Innoschool 2010 Innovation Event

In 2010, the Innovation Event was organised for the 11th time. This time, the event was carried out in the Rovaniemi region. Twelve comprehensive schools, i.e. more than 400 pupils, took part in the event. In the contest for vocational institutes, students’ final projects were judged this year – all units of Lapland Vocational College in Rovaniemi, Sodankylä and Kittilä participated in the contest.

Mr Timo Lankinen, Director General of the Finnish National Board of Education, and Mr Pekka Tsupari, Managing Director of the Association for Finnish Work, presented the Innoschool Prizes and honorary diplomas at the Innofinland awards ceremony on 14 December 2010 at the National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland (NBPR).

INNOSCHOOL PRIZE 2010

VOCATIONAL INSTITUTES:

Kaisa Soppela, Lapland Vocational College
(1,000 euros and honorary diploma)
Final project: How to grow rose hips in Finland
A comprehensive final project about the opportunities for growing rose hips and roses in Finland.

COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS, first and second grades
Seven equal prizes:
(100 euros and honorary diploma)

Rasmus Pallari, Teacher Training School of the University of Lapland, 1 B
Bicycle or snowmobile ramp that can be made bigger or smaller. It can be made bigger by blowing air into its layers. The layers can be blown up one at a time. It is frost-resistant.

Tee Tee Gi, Muurolan ala-aste (Muurola primary school), 2nd grade
Talking book: you follow the text with your finger and the book tells you the words. The book knows Finnish, English, Swedish, and the Karen language, and enables children to learn to read easily.

Jommi Halonen, Ounasrinteen koulu (Ounasrinne school), 1 A
Machine that produces figures: the machine produces different kinds of figures made of several different materials. Children can use the figures for building and in maths lessons.

Joona Lahdenmäki and Atte Suokanerva, Ounasrinteen koulu (Ounasrinne school), 2 A
Pedal-driven snow shovel: the invention improves your condition, and you can also shovel snow with it.

Jere Määttä, Ounasrinteen koulu (Ounasrinne school), 1 B
Ice skate lace-tying machine: you press a button on the skates and the laces tie themselves.

Mira Tirroniemi and Tiina Uusitalo, Syväsenvaaran koulu (Syväsenvaara school), 2 A
Nightwear with attached alarm: the alarm in the nightwear is set in the evening to wake me up so that I will arrive in time for school. If I do not get out of bed and get dressed quickly, the alarm will go off again. The springs in the nightwear make the sleeper spring out of bed the second time. The device is of great help when you are busy in the morning.

Alfred Näsi, Vikajärven koulu (Vikajärvi school), 2nd grade
Pot lid to stir soups: the lid has a motor, a silicone spatula, a thermometer and a timer.

Innoschool is backed up by the Finnish National Board of Education, NBPR, Innofinland, the city of Rovaniemi and the schools in Rovaniemi.

Further information on the prize winners:

Mr Timo Suokas, Project Manager, Innofinland, tel. +358 9 6939 5308, mob. +358 40 772 1733, email timo.suokas (at) prh.fi
Ms Leena Puolimatka, Project Secretary, Innofinland, tel. +358 9 6939 5239, mob. +358 40 546 0125, email leena.puolimatka (at) prh.fi
Ms Kaisa Vähähyyppä, Head of Unit, Finnish National Board of Education, mob. +358 40 348 7702,email kaisa.vahahyyppa (at) oph.fi
Mr Juha Klemola, Director of Communications and Community Relations, NBPR, tel. +358 9 6939 5800, email juha.klemola (at) prh.fi