+0.48Saving the World in Three Hours
Innovation: that was this year’s theme of the National Camp of the FDF, a Danish youth movement.
Dedicated to Innovation
One of the days was dedicated to innovation and was supported by 10 Danish companies, among them DS Smith Denmark, who cooperated with the 12,000 youngsters on solving global problems.
DS Smith provided materials which the participants could use when working on solving the challenge: "Why are 90% of the world's products designed for 10% of the world’s population?"
Collaboration with DCA and Innovation Lab
The day was planned in cooperation with the DCA (Danish Church Aid) and Innovation Lab Denmark. The kids had three hours to come up with an idea that one way or another could help saving the world. Packaging Developer Mette Staal from DS Smith Denmark participated during the day and was guiding and helping them during the developing phase.
The ideas were developed spread over eight themes and divided into groups, each group worked on one of the following themes:
- ideas to create light
- how to pump water up from the ground
- method to move entire villages in case of a flood
- vehicle for an African woman who has to bring 100 corn cobs to the market
- cabin for goats
- integration of two urban communities on either side of a large river
- find a way to keep insulin cool in hot climates
- produce teaching resources out of material that can be found on the waste site
Mette supported the group working on teaching resources for children living on a garbage dump side in South America. The materials DS Smith Denmark sponsored were packaging elements such as boxes containing string, rubber bands, tubes, cardboard, box fillers like cushioning material, etc.
All participants presented their ideas with a great deal of enthusiasm and passion, which made it all a very special experience. None of the groups were short of ideas and creativity. All ideas were assessed based on criteria such as functionality, implementation, innovation, process and outcome and the best ideas from each theme went on to the "finals". Mette was part of the jury and, together with a representative from each of the other companies supporting the event; she took part in choosing the overall winner.
Thomas Wittenburg from Innovation Lab proclaimed the winner of the day. A group of 12 and 13-year-old boys from Valby (Denmark) came up with a school tool: a 'spell/math stick' that can be used to teach the children living on a waste site how to spell words and make calculations. The solution was made from a branch, strips and cardboard. The simple choice of materials was the main reason why they won. "The solution is very clever and by using straightforward packaging materials it can already be in use today," says Thomas Wittenburg.
Allan Lindmark, project manager at the DCA confirmed that the purpose of the innovation day was to get children involved in emergency relief. “It was a good opportunity to get some fresh ideas. I expect to see some of the children’s solutions in the future. I am sure that some of the really good ideas will be reality," he concludes.
After a successful day with lots of great innovative ideas Mette smilingly had to reveal to her co-judges: "Everything can be made out of cardboard!"