May 16, 2024 –Canadian Filipino Lucas Sugui III, a Grade 11 student of Killarney Secondary School in Vancouver, B.C., won a regional award in Canada’s Ingenious+ Youth Innovation Challenge for his innovation project, "Paia," under the climate change and environment category, which now qualified him to participate in the national competition taking place in May during Canadian Innovation Week.
Lucas and classmates Wynn Ho and Aidan Chan co-developed “Paia”, a website that empowers individuals to report dirty streets and public places while also providing a platform for them to notify when clean-ups have been conducted.
The website gives a real-time outlook on the cleanliness of communities.
Philippine Consul General Arlene Magno received Lucas, together with his mother, at the Consulate and commended him for his innovative spirit and dedication to environmental causes.
Lucas shared that he wants to encourage others to take action and make a positive difference in our environment.
The Ingenious+ Youth Innovation Challenge, a program of the Rideau Hall Foundation, offers youth aged 14 to 18 the opportunity to innovate and share their strategies to address problems at home, across Canada, and around the world.
The competition encourages innovation, whether through enhancing existing products, services, or processes, or creating entirely new solutions to address societal issues.
Paia
The Ingenious+ Youth Innovation Challenge Regional Awards help young innovators get the motivation and support they need to take their projects to the next level.
As regional awards winners, Lucas and friends received a cash prize of $1,000 to develop, improve or implement the submitted innovation, an opportunity to attend virtual group learning and mentorship sessions and a chance to move on to the National Awards and receive $10,000.
About the Author
Rachel Ramos-Reid started writing for magazines and newspapers when she was still a junior at the University of the Philippines’ Communication degree program majoring in Journalism. She continued to write in a public relations/corporate communications capacity in various private and government offices until moving out of the country in 1997 to work as Programme Officer for the arts and culture branch of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO-SPAFA) in Bangkok, Thailand. At the end of her term, Rachel found herself immigrating to Canada in the year 2000 and again searching for new beginnings. Currently she is the Executive Assistant to a small rural college on Vancouver Island.
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