Three young environmentalists are helping put Yellowknife on the map of water awareness and innovation.

St. Patrick High School students Ann Huynh, Sofia Laganas and Isha Jha won recognition for their contributions to the event during the March Break.

The GWC was offered through the and (IFG) organizations that bring together students from around the globe to hone skills to solve problems facing the world.

Teams held sessions over Zoom, where they discussed their projects. Between sessions, they communicated using the Discord and Padlet chat apps.

Sewage filtration

HuynhSA国际影视传媒檚 group won a Global Collaboration Award from IFG for their project on designing a device that filters clean water from sewage. Her five-member team hailed from China, Bangladesh and India.

SA国际影视传媒淲e had three designs. One was a water filter, like a water bottle with a cap, like on a sewage pipe that acts as a net (to purify water),SA国际影视传媒� Huynh explained. SA国际影视传媒�(The experience) was more of a different way to learn, not like learning in a classroom because youSA国际影视传媒檙e talking with other students online in other countries. YouSA国际影视传媒檙e connecting in a different way.SA国际影视传媒�

Plasma radiation filtration

LaganasSA国际影视传媒檚 team SA国际影视传媒� of which she was the manager SA国际影视传媒� won a Global Innovation Award for its work on inventing a way of purifying water through a multi-step process. Her teammates were from Bangladesh, Sweden, Canada and Indonesia.

SA国际影视传媒淥ne of my team members found a research paper about a plasma radiation filtration system,SA国际影视传媒� Laganas said. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a complicated system. Our goal was to reuse sewage water and water from lakes. We made two systems: one for factories and one for houses. We didn't expect to win an award but we thought it was really cool.SA国际影视传媒�

Water efficiency

JhaSA国际影视传媒檚 group worked on a water efficiency project aimed at maximizing water for countriesSA国际影视传媒� domestic use instead of for profit-making purposes.

SA国际影视传媒淚 had some teammates in Mexico, where only 15 per cent of water was going to domestic purposes while the rest was going to agriculture because itSA国际影视传媒檚 a money-making industry,SA国际影视传媒� Jha said.

SA国际影视传媒淥ur solution was to implement a treaty. We based our idea off the Paris Climate Accord. Using milestones, we developed a way where everyone would get the right amount of water. We found if you take water away from the agricultural businesses, youSA国际影视传媒檙e saving more money and you can plant more crops. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 good for the environment because it can prevent runoff. We called it the global water umbrella.SA国际影视传媒�

Though her team didn't win an award, she enjoyed participating and saw that the accolades won by her classmates' teams were well-deserved.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was really interesting to learn about other peoples' perspectives on water issues. In other countries, they have different priorities on water issues,SA国际影视传媒� Jha said.

Early signs of passion for environment

When the GWC program was announced a few months ago, Trent Hamm, a technology innovation specialist with Yellowknife Catholic Schools (YCS), thought of the three St. PatrickSA国际影视传媒檚 students.

He worked with them when they were in Grade 7 in YCSSA国际影视传媒檚 techsperts program.

SA国际影视传媒淚 put this out to 60 students to join the GWC event and (the) three got back to me. In Grade 7, they fundraised $1,300 with a group of students called Ocean Girls, though there were boys in the group. They were trying to get rid of microplastics in the ocean. They have a pattern of really caring for the environment to really change it SA国际影视传媒� and (they're) willing to put action behind their words. And they still have the passion for water.SA国际影视传媒�

Ocean Girls went on to be a .

Hamm initially introduced the girls to the GWC and encouraged them to focus on the North for their projects.

Global collaboration on water solutions

The international teams were formed in January and paired with adult mentors. The common issue for all teams was water, and each one was given their own specific problem to solve.

They discussed their projects virtually in regularly scheduled sessions that lasted about an hour. The teams collaborated to build slide decks of their projects. Sessions were conducted in English, and the three girls said their overseas teammates were all fluent.

The three St. PatrickSA国际影视传媒檚 students met virtually with their teams at noon GMT, which is 6 a.m. Mountain Time SA国际影视传媒� or was 5 a.m. until clocks were set ahead on March 14 for daylight savings time.

SA国际影视传媒淪ome kids woke up even earlier than us, like at 2 a.m!SA国际影视传媒� Hamm recalled.

Over the March Break, the youths held their final preparation sessions and then presented their projects to each other on March 20.

SA国际影视传媒淕oing forward, these girls have paved the way for next year,SA国际影视传媒� Hamm said. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 hoping they've inspired other students in high school to take up the challenge and make the world a better place.SA国际影视传媒�

Huynh and Laganas will present their projects to a wider audience on April 17 at the leadership event organized by IFG.