Winners receive first prizes at the 28th Young Informatics Contest for first to 12th grade students in HCM City on May 12. — VNS Photo Ngọc Diệp

HCM CITY — Fifty-two individuals and groups in HCM City won prizes at the 28th Young Informatics Contest for students at all primary, secondary and high schools in the city on Sunday.

The annual contest is organised by the HCM City-based Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union in collaboration with the city’s Department of Information and Communications, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Education and Training, HCM City Television and HCM City Computer Association.

Between February and May, the contest organisers received more than 39,400 entries and selected 510 students to participate in the final round of the contest. The awards were given in two categories: knowledge and skills in informatics and innovative products.

There were four first prizes worth VNĐ5 million (US$214) each, six second prizes worth VNĐ3 million ($128) each, six third prizes worth VNĐ2 million ($86) each, and 36 consolation prizes worth VNĐ1 million ($43) each.

The first prizes were given to Bùi Nguyễn Ngoc Thắng from the High School for Gifted Students at Việt Nam National University-HCM City; students Nguyễn Trương Mai Phương, Tăng Thanh Hà and Lương Bảo Ngọc from Cách Mạng Tháng Tám Secondary School in District 10; Bùi Nguyễn Đức Tân from Trần Đại Nghĩa High School for Gifted Students in District 1; and Trần Ngọc Anh from Kết Đoàn Primary School in District 1.

Đoàn Kim Thành, director of the HCM City-based Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union's Youth Development Science and Technology Centre, said there was increasing labour demand for IT workers who play an important role in the city’s socio-economic development.

“The contest is a meaningful activity that creates favourable conditions for students to be creative,” he said.

Nguyễn Trương Mai Phương said her group product was a multi-purpose sanitation vehicle that automatically sweeps garbage, cleans floors, and and collects and sorts garbage.

“We hope the product can help sanitation workers reduce their hard work and contribute to environmental protection in the city.”

Hồ Trần Ngọc Liêm, a disadvantaged student at Nguyễn An Khương Secondary School in Hóc Môn District, was presented a computer from the organising board. He won second prize with the design for a mobile app to help students who are science majors.

All winners will be trained and selected to join the annual 25th National Young Informatics Contest for students, which will be held in Quảng Bình Province in August. — VNS