Klay Project developed by students from Harvard and UTEC wins the Deutsche Bank Challenge

•The Klay Project seeks to develop low cost educational materials to enhance learning in science and technology.•This innovative idea was awarded US$ 20 thousand for its developmentKlay Project developed by students from Harvard and UTEC wins the Deutsche Bank ChallengeWhat does it consist of? The purpose of “Klay” is to develop low cost and highly versatile teaching materials and it consists of developing a Tool Kit to be distributed to students in Peru’s rural areas to help them to understand and apply several scientific and technological principles while seeking to arouse interest and motivate students to study science and technology.  “While throughout the world many try to design educational kits made out of rigid pieces which can prove to be quite expensive, this team realized that an infinity of shapes can be handcrafted from play dough.  Adding electronic components (sensors, microprocessors) to the play dough to make low cost educational materials is a rather interesting idea” said Juan Carlos Rodriguez, a teacher at UTEC. “We congratulate the team who won the Deutsche Bank Challenge”, said Eduardo Sánchez-Carrión, General Manager of Deutsche Bank Peru.  “Through the use of their innovative talents and skills, these young entrepreneurs will make an enormous contribution to communities that face educational obstacles.  The Deutsche Bank Challenge has joined the effort to promote change and we have high hopes that it will achieve it”.“The greatest obstacle faced by education today in the rural areas of Peru is the remote distance to the schools the lack of motivation by students to attend.   Our proposal seeks to redefine education in these areas in a way in which learning outcomes do not depend on in-class attendance. Our objective is to develop creativity, critical thinking and a love for science, by providing self-learning materials with a novel technology all within the means of students and transferring learning from the schools to communities and homes”, says Oscar Pacheco, an Industrial Engineering student at UTEC.  He adds that he and the team are very happy to have had the opportunity to contribute to developing a better country while doing what they are most passionate about, ENGINEERING. The Harvard students who were winners in the contest, arrived in Peru in June to join the other team members in starting to develop the project through field work.  Then, the entire team will travel to Harvard University to complete the models which will subsequently be evaluated in a number of different schools in Peru.  “Both universities are interested to see if this innovation can be applied on a national scale, and the team of young students includes advisors from our country and the USA who will guide them during the development and implementation process” says Rodriguez. The first results from this project’s application will be presented on January 11th of next year.