Young minds, green solutions
Student Reporters Elena Cepaityte 11.4, Sabina Jiurje 11.5 and Arshia Duggal 8.3 find out more about a science competition looking to the future
On 7th February 2026, a group of Year 11 students from Claremont High School had an exciting opportunity to attend a STEM public-speaking competition called ‘Speaking for Tomorrow’ at Imperial College London. This event brought together young people to explore global issues and share ideas for a more sustainable future. The competition encouraged students to present their perspectives on real-world challenges, such as sustainable businesses and the role of technology.
The Claremont students that participated in the competition - Norbert Adamiak 11.4, Vidya Naker 11.2, Adonis Szanto 11.6 and Alexandra Gavrau 11.4 – gained a valuable experience. Norbert says that his ‘research skills and ability to collaborate effectively in a team developed significantly’ as the team had to do their own preparation in order to present their arguments. They had to address two questions: How can a sustainable future be driven by business models and the deployment of AI? And how can it help tackle climate change? These questions initially puzzled the group, but working together helped them greatly.
The public-speaking competition, which was led by Ms Arbani for Claremont, was an amazing opportunity for secondary school students, allowing them to develop fundamental skills, such as public speaking, critical thinking and generating innovative ideas. These skills were tested by pupils having to investigate a range of STEM topics in-depth and organise their findings into persuasive, well-structured presentations. The presentations were ultimately delivered to an exemplary standard to an unfamiliar audience.
Ms Arbani says that taking part in this competition enabled students to ‘build that all-important resilience factor, which is crucial for young learners’. The competitive environment inspired them to step outside their comfort zone and they performed outstandingly, making it to the third round.
The competition also linked to the students’ subjects at school, as Norbert explains: ‘We discussed ideas such as carbon offsetting and carbon credits, which connects to sustainability and environmental management in Geography, as well as government policy and legislation in Business Studies.’
Vidya adds that practising public speaking is ‘a valuable skill as it builds confidence, improves communication and provides many benefits for future careers’.
Norbert agrees: ‘Communicating ideas clearly is just as important as understanding them. The biggest lessons I will take from this experience are the importance of problem-solving and structured preparation.’
Ms Arbani was clearly very pleased with the outcome: 'Moments like this make me immensely proud. Our students proved that young minds can think deeply, speak boldly and lead the future of STEM. It was amazing how they turned their passion for science into powerful public speaking. They didn’t just compete - they inspired everyone!'