Three Surrey SAIL students make it to Youth Innovation Showcase finals

A trio of students from the district’s Surrey Academy of Innovative Learning (SAIL) are each closer to a $5,000 grand prize after being named finalists in the 2023 Youth Innovation Showcase. 

Nicholas Creanga, Ryyan Hammoud and Antony Zhang were selected among the top five finalists in the STEM design competition’s 12-15 year-old category, with the winner set to be announced at on Nov. 29. There are two $5,000 prizes available at the competition, one for 12-15 year olds and another for 16-19 year olds.

The projects from each the Grade 10 students range from Nicholas Creanga’s environmentally friendly paper made from blackberries to Ryyan Hammoud’s smart naloxone kit designed to reverse drug overdoses and Antony Zhang’s Refugee Pal app created to help newcomers find the services and resources they need to settle into their new country.

Creanga said he was inspired to look into creating a paper from blackberry bush fibre after finding out that the common species in B.C., the Himalayan blackberry, is classified as an invasive species. Looking to create a biodegradable product from a readily available material, he also opted to look into using the plant after developing a dislike for them after falling into one of the thorny bushes as a child. 

“One of my teachers suggested that why not use a plant that harms other plants, and with my already acquired dislike towards the blackberries, this project further increased my will to get rid of them,” he said. 

After countless hours refining his paper-making method, Creanga was ready to go public with his ‘B.B. Paper.’ 

“The project was incredibly challenging as the problems of Himalayan blackberries were relatively untouched or covered by the media,” he said. 

“It took a while to think of various solutions to the problem without destroying the environment more than the plants already did.”

Creanga said he envisions his product one day replacing the need for tree-based papers, and said if he wins the $5,000 grand prize, he’ll invest in a new computer and equipment to help further his project.

“I’d look at a good blender with a sharper, more precise blade and also use other stronger, environmentally friendly industrial substances to further strengthen the paper,” he said.

The winners of the 2023 Youth Innovation Showcase will be announced on Wednesday, Nov. 29.

To see the list of finalists, and learn more about the competition, click here.

Update: Ryyan Hammoud took home the People's Choice Award for the 12-15 category. Congratulations, Ryyan!