BioCon 2016 for high school students brings all ages together

The 9th BioCon, or bio-creativity contest, for high school students was held on October 22, 2016. This year, fifteen teams from eight high schools joined the competition to develop learning materials regarding life and the natural world for elementary and middle school students. After five months of hard work, the teams gathered at Tokyo Tech's Suzukakedai Campus to present their creations.

This year's presentations were again filled with anticipation, excitement, and laughter as the teams got the chance to get on stage and show off what they had designed. Additional motivation was provided by the fact that just one week earlier, the very same stage had been occupied by the recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology, Honorary Professor Yoshinori Ohsumi. After each presentation, the teams were bombarded with questions from the eager audience members.

Testing out learning materials

After the presentations, elementary school students got the chance to test out the new materials in booths set up by the creators. Many had devised games to provide the children with an enjoyable yet challenging way to learn. One particular creation displaying the length of animal intestines attracted plenty of attention.

Vocal Cord from Sagamihara claims victory

The top three teams, together with the team selected as winners of the Yokohama City Board of Education Award, will compete against 2nd- and 3rd-year Tokyo Tech students at the 2017 Tokyo Tech BioCon.

Bio Creative Staff

This event was organized by Bio Creative Staff, a Tokyo Tech student club which aims to spread awareness regarding the biological sciences. The club members acted as teaching assistants, providing advice throughout the project.

• Bio Creative Staff (Japanese)