Jersey students scoop top awards in national design competition

Sunday 10 July 2022

Two local students have been recognised in a national engineering competition after submitting award-winning designs for a vibrating stoma bag and a USB text-to-braille converter.

Jersey College for Girls students Roxanna and Cassandra competed against 32,000 entries and were awarded top prizes for their innovative designs.

All of JCG’s year 9 cohort entered the Leaders Award engineering competition, which invited primary and secondary students to find engineered solutions to real-life problems. 

Pictured: Roxana, pictured here with Design Technology teacher Kevin Coxshall, designed a vibrating stoma bag to help those living with a colostomy. 

As part of the process, the students interviewed engineering professionals before identifying problems and coming up with potential designs. 

Roxana designed a stoma bag that vibrates when it needs to be emptied. “I was inspired by my dad who had cancer a few years ago,” she said. 

“He had to get a colostomy and I was wondering what would make his life a bit easier! I believe my idea is an evolution of what's available right now and that it's a great foundation to build upon for the future.” 

Pictured: Cassandra designed a USB text-to-braille converter inspired by her family's love of reading. 

Cassandra designed a USB text-to-braille converter that translates books for people with vision impairment. 

“This product is specifically for blind people but can also be used for people to be educated on the blind community.

“I was inspired by my family’s love for reading and the fact that, if one of us ever lost our vision, I would be able to provide them with what they love.

The user will be able to read by a system of pins being pushed up to create certain words.” 

Pictured: Last year's winner, Mollie, was presented with a prototype of her design for wheelchair users. 

Roxanna and Cassandra received their awards in a ceremony at Highlands College, in partnership with Kingston University. 

The University also surprised last year’s winner, JCG student Millie, by presenting her with a prototype of her winning design – a device to assist wheelchair users to enter and exit a car.

Four other students, Sophie, Aurelia, Alexia and Kate, received highly commended awards for their designs, which included a recycling bin that automatically-sorts plastic waste, and a self-heating cooking pan.