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Students design device for anxiety

30 Sep 2021

Alicia and Esmèe programmed their BBC micro:bits to create a device to help manage anxiety 

Alicia and Esmèe in Canada created ‘Micro:Calm’, an all-in-one micro:bit device that provides users with multiple coping mechanisms to deal with anxiety. This included a fidget toy, emotion check-in, a "box breathing" exercise and a game.

The girls hoped this could be used by people of any age and work towards to achieving Global Goal 3 - Good health and well-being. It was the winning entry in the 2021 15 to 18-year-old category for North America.

Micro:Calm, a video submitted to the 2021 do your :bit Global Goals challenge

The do your :bit challenge is an annual competition which sets young people the challenge to innovate and design solutions relevant to the impacts of the Global Goals that are meaningful to them.

I am delighted to be a woman in STEM and I hope that by being one of the winners I can be a role model for other aspiring young women.

Esmèe

Esmèe

Esmèe

Alicia

Alicia

Even after the pandemic, we hope that our device could still offer everyone, since everyone has mental health, a way of feeling more comfortable in their daily lives.

Alicia

Children and young people innovating with technology

The do your :bit challenge adds social purpose to digital learning and allows students to apply their digital skills to real world solutions. All projects and lesson resources are available for free and entries can be submitted into two age-range categories, 8 to 14-year-olds and 15 to 18-year-olds. 8 to 14-year-olds can submit either a paper prototype or working micro:bit solution.

Read about all of this year’s winning entries.

The next do your :bit challenge opens in early 2022, you can find out more about the challenge and access Global Goals project resources and lessons here.

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