IPB University Vocational School Student’s Digital Innovation for Child Literacy Receives International Award
Asri Hapsari, a student of IPB University Vocational School from the Digital Communication and Media Study Program, made her almamater proud in the international arena. This victory adds to the long list of achievements of IPB University students at the global level.
In the International Youth Excursion Network event, which was attended by 175 participants from Indonesia and Malaysia, Asri and her team succeeded in achieving brilliant achievements. She was announced as the 1st winner of the Innovation Video and won the 3rd Best Presentation among the top 8 best finalists of the competition.
The International Youth Excursion Network event, which was held on 23-27 September 2024, is a competition that emphasizes creative innovation and understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in the aspect of education.
Asri and her team raised the idea of developing a ‘Pintar Asuh’ application that focuses on improving the quality of education in Indonesia, in line with SDGs number 4 on quality education. Through this application, they hope to help improve children’s literacy at an early age, especially for those from underprivileged families.
Asri explained that the idea for this app came from the concern that there are still many children in Indonesia who do not have access to adequate education, especially in terms of basic reading and writing skills.
“We see that there are still many children in Indonesia who are illiterate, so we took the initiative to design this application to help parents educate their children from an early age,” she said in an exclusive interview.
The Pintar Asuh app was developed to provide guidance to parents in helping their children learn to read and write with a fun and interactive method. The app is designed to be easily accessible to families from various socio-economic backgrounds. “We also want to ensure that the app is inclusive and can be used for free by the wider community,” Asri added.
However, the journey to victory was not easy. Asri and her team faced various challenges during the competition, ranging from time management issues to unsportsmanlike conduct from some participants. “There were participants who used unsportsmanlike means, such as buying followers on social media to get more attention. However, they were eventually disqualified for this,” said Asri.
In addition, the challenge of managing time was also crucial. “Each team member’s busy schedule was one of our biggest obstacles, but we kept trying to overcome it and work well together,” she said. The success of Asri’s team shows that hard work and innovation can overcome various obstacles, and become an inspiration for other students.
In the future, Asri hopes that the Pintar Asuh application can continue to be developed and attract investors to support its implementation. “My hope is that this application can be realized and have a real impact on education in Indonesia,” said Asri hopefully.
The International Youth Excursion Network itself is a program specifically designed for young people who want to broaden their horizons through study abroad experiences.
The competition not only tests presentation skills and innovation, but also gives participants the opportunity to understand the culture, history, and daily life in other countries. In addition, the competition aims to encourage youth to contribute to the achievement of SDGs, especially in the aspects of education, environment, and social innovation.
With this achievement, Asri Hapsari has shown that Indonesian students, especially from IPB University, are able to compete and make a real contribution to global efforts towards sustainable development. This victory is not only a source of pride for her and her team, but also an inspiration for other students to continue working and bringing positive changes in society. (FZ/NPA) (IAAS/RUM)
