Abigail Van Ballegooyen, Year 7 student, wins 2020 Origin Little Big Idea Competition!

Merici College congratulates Year 7 student Abigail Van Ballegooyen who is the 2020 Origin Little Big Idea Winner!

Merici College congratulates Year 7 student Abigail Van Ballegooyen who is the 2020 Origin Little Big Idea Winner!

Twelve-year-old Abigail has been awarded $10,000 after being named the national winner in the Year 7-8 category of Origin's Little Big Idea competition. Selected from over 2000 entries, Abigail's award-winning idea, Safety Sound, is designed to make school zones safer for children. The Safety Sound features Bluetooth technology to send a voice alert to drivers' mobiles, reminding them to slow down as they approach a school zone. The idea was inspired by Abigail's own research into school zone accidents.

Origin's Little Big Idea is a national competition designed to foster creativity and innovation in young Australians. In October Abigail was announced as a Top 12 inventor for 2020 and received $1000 towards her education, ideas illustrated by a professional artist and mentoring support from Little Big Ideas judges.

Earlier this week, all of Year 7 celebrated Abigail's success as she was announced as the national winner. During the assembly, Year 7 were also welcomed by Little Big Idea Ambassador and Biomechanical Engineer, Dr Jordan Nguyen.

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