Bundaberg Region students have developed, refined and pitched their original ideas to compete in this year’s Mayor’s Telstra Innovation Awards.
Students from across the region were invited to participate in a two day incubator session, presented by Young Change Agents, before pitching their projects to a panel of judges in front of an audience of supporters, businesses and community members.
The winning team was Micah Ephraims and Bailey Hunt from Kepnock State High School for their ‘SideQuest’ initiative.
SideQuest is a private social coordination platform that helps groups of friends organise activities, confirm attendance and share photos from their experiences in one place.
The duo was inspired to create the website as a way of reconnecting people post-Covid.
They said SideQuest encouraged real-world social connection by making it easy to organise activities with friends or groups in private invite-only user groups.
It was designed around the idea of keeping friends connected through shared experiences by bringing plans, dates and locations together in one platform, while harnessing the appeal of FOMO (fear of missing out) to encourage participation and engagement.
Second place was awarded to Bundaberg State High School students Simrat Sidhu, Rori Steel and Charlie Sell for Drink Smart, a smart straw linked to an app that analyses beverages for signs of drink spiking, helping users stay safe and informed.
Third place went to Bundaberg State High School students Quinn Perrott, Emily Rosenberger, Scott Rosenberger and Georgia Gatto for Foundit, a digital platform designed to reunite people with their lost belongings.
Mayor Helen Blackburn said she was impressed by the breadth of ideas presented by all the students at the pitch night.
“The Mayor’s Telstra Innovation Awards are a wonderful opportunity for young people in our region to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills,” Mayor Blackburn said.
“Through the intensive incubator sessions, the students learnt how to develop and apply this thinking to solutions for real world issues they care about.
“It was inspiring to see our future leaders and entrepreneurs gain confidence in shaping and presenting their ideas.”
The 2026 Mayor’s Telstra Innovation Awards was led by Regional Business HQ, in partnership with Telstra, CQUniversity, Community Lifestyle Support, Queensland Computers, Young Change Agents and Bundaberg Regional Council.
The Awards aim to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship by helping students in the Bundaberg Region unlock their problem-solving potential and take their big technology ideas to the next level.
