Student animator wins top prize

The world is on its way to destruction, but sometimes spreading the word through an animation can save the day!

Gaurang Deka, a Grade 11 student of the Millennium School, Dubai has won international recognition in the areas of Environmental Sustainability, STEM (Science Technology, Engineering Mathematics) and social work. He is one of the three students selected from the UAE by New York Academy of Sciences – making him one of the 1000 world’s brightest STEM students.

Gaurang created an animation for World Environment Day 2021 (June 5); the theme focused on natural processes, emerging green technologies and innovative thinking that can restore the world’s ecosystem redefining mankind’s deep connection with nature.

Gaurang’s animation under the sub-theme Animat(E)arth won the 1st prize from among 40 participating international schools for SCOPE – an inter-school forum of student voices and action against climate change, uniting schools and young people from all corners of the world, including India, Costa Rica and Australia.

The UAE based Gems Group hosts SCOPE (Schools Conference of Parties Expo) from around the world to support climate action. The two-day event held every year, empowers students to explore solutions and use their creativity to express their passions and pertinent concerns about climate change.

Gaurang has been working on the collaborative Launchpad Academy’s unique online platform to compete in project-based challenges focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Gaurang has actively participated in the Emirates Environmental Club; he was part of the “recycle, reforest, repeat’ project and played a crucial role in mobilising resources, spreading awareness and bringing sustainable development goals to the forefront. He is also a student volunteer with Emirates Nature – WWF. During this pandemic, he also contributed to CRY (Child Rights and You) for their social media campaigning on issues related to child labour, child marriage etc.

Gaurang is the Founder of ‘Blooming Buds’, a social initiative dedicated to ‘Educate, Empower and Elevate’ the underprivileged children in rural Assam (India). During this unprecedented Covid season, Blooming Buds is providing academic online sessions for these students regularly.

By Christ & Co.