As the course progresses, the 2023 City Theme Camp of UN SDG Science and Innovation Training Camp for Jing’an Children & Youth comes to an end. In the previous courses, students were introduced to the fundamental components of Arduino intelligent hardware. They gained an understanding of the operational principles behind various sensors, including ultrasonic, infrared, and obstacle avoidance. Additionally, they acquired relevant knowledge and honed their skills in this area. In addition to learning software and hardware knowledge, students received instruction on the engineering design process and engaged in practical application during their class time.

After completing the basic learning, students faced the challenge of independent project design. Under the guidance of the teachers, they designed an independent project proposal through teamwork and brainstorming. Through discussions, investigations, and research conducted in multiple classes, students identified the problems they aimed to solve and developed an initial plan for their desired independent engineering project.

This class aims to determine the final independent project topic and complete the design plan. During the previous classes, each team had a preliminary idea for their projects. However, when confronted with challenges and questions from the teachers, many teams remained uncertain about the feasibility of their chosen topics. Indeed, this is the students’ first experience in designing and producing their own scientific and technological innovation projects. Although there were various disagreements among the team members, they soon got into a groove with the help of the teacher.

The teachers prepared the project proposal template for each team:

• What is the project theme?

• How does the project impact society (involving population characteristics and scope of use)?

• Development history

• Development bottlenecks/existing problems?

• Can it be imitated and utilized (some of the existing solutions are worth imitating, utilizing, and learning)?

• How do we think?

• Knowledge involved?

• Sensors and equipment to be used?

In addition to the above questions, every team should record their design process, encompassing the challenges requiring resolution, an explanation of the functionality and procedures of the real object, and finally, a conceptual illustration depicting the finished product.

A small project proposal carried a substantial workload, which presented significant challenges and pressure to the students. Through the division of labor and cooperation, each team finally completed and submitted the project proposal. They again experienced difficulty in applying their knowledge and implementing innovative design ideas.

In the final stage of the course, students will face the ultimate challenge: making the physical object, creating a project presentation, and giving a final presentation to the entire faculty and students to showcase the project’s achievements.

They were filled with a mix of excitement and nervousness, eagerly anticipating the challenge ahead. Let’s wish them success in overcoming this final challenge, and may they deliver a satisfactory performance in their learning journey during this UN SDG Science and Innovation Training Camp.