MIT Solve

Solution Overview & Team Lead Details

Solution name.

Metanoia The Project for Interconnected Change

Provide a one-line summary of your solution.

Collectively improve underprivileged schools resources by engaging with the community and privileged schools by collecting plastic waste and reinventing it as resources while also expanding beyond the schools limited syllabus.

What specific problem are you trying to solve?

There are three specific problems being addressed with this solution.

The Metanoia Project is designed and inspired by the interconnected systems found in nature, where different group's actions improve the next groups productivity.

In no specific order as this is a cycle solution, we are addressing:

1. Plastic waste entering and harming natural habitats and ecosystems, with a primary focus on coastal and ocean waste. This is a global scale problem, so any initiative towards not only removing plastic and harmful materials from the ecosystems, but also reinventing it so it cannot find other ways to re enter nature, or as gas emissions is very impactful and the opportunities are endless for expansion as our plastic waste problem is so significant. Metanoia is changing the focus on how we view synthetic waste by proving how we can use them as materials and resources and encouraging people and businesses to see and create circular economy.

2. Underprivileged schools in South Africa where learners do not have access to desks or chairs to accommodate their current or other prospective students. Not only does SA not have enough publicly accessible education to cater for its future generations but are also lacking immediate resources in the existing public and local schools to give each child a fair opportunity at a learning environment. There is a big gap between privileged and underprivileged schools and this project aims to close the economic disparity between them. Metanoia aims to use the existing resources we have to create new opportunities with them as classroom and educational products, experiences and plan on expanding to greater things.

3. Extending beyond the textbook syllabus, providing learners who's schools have limited resources to expose them to the active environment and engage them with current and new issues while inspiring them to explore into developing fields that are significant (and not limited to) in nature, science, conservation, innovation, medicine and STEM. I found throughout my experience as a public school learner for 9 years, (those students are now on entry to university) that students who had access to an opportunity of education beyond the print in textbooks inspired a curiosity and a passion for fields and careers that other students would never even consider. Although textbook work is vital as core education, students will become much more passionate about the work they are learning about if they see, feel and experience the active environment where their future can make an impact. Humans are sensory beings, and each human and mind is different and complex. When it comes to shaping the leaders and teams of the future we need to uplift the students from the textbook and give them a feel of the words true nature.

Metanoia means a fundamental change in character or outlook. Changing the way we view systems as separate, to how we can interconnect it to create collective change for the greater good of mankind and Earth.

For more research and information, please view Metanoia The Projects Website here or attached as a link:

Elevator pitch

What is your solution?

To build a credit system that encourages schools and the youth to participate in actively taking care of the environment by collecting plastic that would otherwise have ended up as waste threatening our ecosystems. By doing this, schools and students are also part of the project's journey to transform the collected plastic into desks, chairs and other resources for local underprivileged schools who do not have access to accommodate current or prospective students. These products are created by melting and molding waste plastic. Schools participate by paying annual membership fees, which gives them access to the Metanoia app, this is also accessible to underprivileged schools who will not need to pay but also qualify for credit.

In brief, the Metanoia app, shows the accountable credit to all participating members including local schools with friendly competition. This credit can then be used by schools to get both free and discounted educational experiences through programs, organizations and businesses associated with the project to allow the schools to teach the generations of the future beyond the limited syllabus.

Exclusive events and awards will also be part of the program, giving deserved recognition and publicity for the schools efforts and events hosted for the students to engage education and fun beyond the textbook.

Metanoia-The Project promotes access to opportunities for the students which are otherwise limited by both public and private schools financially to explore the fields of (and not limited to) innovation, natural conservation, technology and more.

Reinventing generational ways of thinking and learning is the most impactful way to make change for our future, and the best place to start is the generations of the future.

For information regarding processes, equipment and technology involved, please view the "lets make it happen" tab on the website for in depth information.

Who does your solution serve? In what ways will the solution impact their lives?

The solution serves the underprivileged schools who do not have access to desks or chairs and educational products which optimize their learning experience. The public education access is limited to the rapidly growing populations. Many locals start their own educational centres which are also underfunded just to try and close the educational disparity between youth of different regions and demographics. Improving the resources of these public schools and local educational centres will enable them to accommodate all their students and improve learning environments and providing fair access and experiences. Every students deserves a classroom where they can learn undistracted and comfortably. Every school deserves sufficient tools and equipment to operate.

This solution will enable the project to donate desks and chairs and further developing educational resources STEM related and games to the schools in need.

This solution also serves the natural environment and ocean life. In an effort to combat the plastic waste entering our diverse ocean life, and other natural habitats to save the animals and the quality of our local and global marine biology. While doing this, we will also be engaging learners to learn more about the affected sea life and how they can make change with an effort to inspire future generations to think more eco-consciously as the global perspective is shifting.

This solution also serves the youth minds and perspectives. By creating opportunities for students to learn and experience and directly engage with science, nature, medicine, innovation, conservation, problem solving, change making and solutions. In traditional schooling, many students are unfazed by the work they are doing and rather shifting their focus into getting it done or achieve a passing standard than becoming inspired by what they feed their minds. Arguably look at students attention span and eagerness to go on school trips and outings, even attention span at their personal social media. There is something that enlivens them because it triggers their senses. The developing brain is curious, fascinated, sensory engaged and seeks sense of adventure and new information. When the same subjects are repeatedly learnt the same way for 12 consecutive grades, students tend to shift their engagement from wow I can count and write to lets just finish this already.

Metanoia the project aims to create more opportunities for schools to excite and engage their learners with new and exciting, yet academically focused experiences. Something a student can see, feel, touch, smell and experience as part of their nervous system, ultimately awakening the mind to new curiosities and possibilities with purpose.

More exposure and more engagement means that students are more likely to find and engage in their passions which broadens the horizons for the future of innovators and researchers in science, technology, engineering, nature conservation, and climate change.

How are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?

As a previous public school student, now online school student, I have personally experienced the limitations to exposing the youth to what is beyond the textbooks. I am also in current position where I talk to public school learners, online school learners who were previous public school learners and many teachers. This helps me network and understand the personal perspectives of students currently in school and on their way to enter university.

I also live on the West Coast for a couple of years and I have seen the drastic decline in sea life and the increase in plastic pollution in our oceans, just from what we can see on the outside.

I have been researching the effects of pollution on our ocean life and other natural habits, the effects of waste and how it influences the disruption of ecosystems and its significance in the continuation of ocean life for the last two years. I have also been following initiatives and innovations especially run by innovators in Africa that have proven success in their efforts to repurpose plastic waste.

I also have been informed of businesses who do these projects especially as part of their marketing and create change for a limited period of time. I would like to run this project as a business and continue this journey to create longevity in change.

Recruiting a team for this project will not be difficult as locals in surrounding communities love working with a purpose and generally this project requires easy accessible and teachable skills.

As this project will be working with partners and associated businesses, it is community based. Because it is an interconnected solution, where businesses, associates and schools work collaboratively to make it happen, the expertise and education will be shared among the professionals.

We will be in contact with the underprivileged schools to directly understand their needs. This type of research is not well documented as people do not focus the headlines on these issues, but it is a significant problem.

To find out more i depth about the team we will form, who is involved and what skills we are looking for, who our service providers and third party contractors will be, please view our website under the tab " let's make it happen"

What steps have you taken to understand the needs of the population you want to serve?

Please see under " Behind the Project" Tab on the website for the research behind the project.

I have conducted research among students to conclude that students seek that engagement between their textbook work and real life experiences.

I have researched and seen the plastic waste at our local beaches and learnt more regarding this from our aquarium and organizations. I have also observed the decline of sea life over the years at various spots on the West Coast.

I have volunteered at beach clean ups and found them only partially effective as the waste is removed from the beach, but through waste management chain either ends up in other natural habitats or is burnt polluting the air with toxic gas emissions or is buried and intoxicating our soil and underground water sources. This is something Metanoia the project aims to change as it should be a cycle, not a linear product life cycle.

I have also experienced how competitive local schools are and how they pride themselves in their achievements, this friendly competition is a serious drive factor for this project.

Which aspects of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Other: Addressing an unmet social, environmental, or economic need not covered in the four dimensions above.

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Concept: An idea being explored for its feasibility to build a product, service, or business model based on that idea.

In what city, town, or region is your solution team located?

Cape Town, South Africa

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Marlene Mostert