A group of students from Camborne Science and International Academy have taken part in a global conference in Canada.

The group attended the ten day Bio-Innovation and Sustainability Conference in Winnipeg, with other young people from Australia, Japan and South Korea.

“It was the most incredible trip," said Thomas Smith, director of e-learning, computing, business and economics at CSIA." Our students were totally immersed into the Canadian culture and enjoyed so many new experiences. We had lots of opportunities to enjoy the area and visited Assiniboine Park Zoo, the Longitudinal Center of Canada and watched the ice hockey games.”

Phoebe Hayes and Ross Winter in year 12 and Ellie Harvey and Lewis Bowden in year 13 made the trip with Mr Smith and Jazmin Danks, deputy head of PE, sport and dance.

Hosted by Fort Richmond Collegiate, students stayed with host families and investigated issues surrounding securing long-term food production and access to clean water. “Our students worked in teams to construct and present an environmentally neutral plan for a 160 acre farm," said Mr Smith. "It was very complex but they really enjoyed the challenge and working collaboratively.”

Leisure visits were taken to Manitoba Human Rights Museum and Forks Market. “On Friday we took the bus to the Forks, Winnipeg’s number one tourist destination with more than four million visitors annually,” added Mr Smith. “As the first national museum to be built in nearly half a century, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights uses technology such as virtual reality, touch screen activities and interactive videos. It was such a fantastic day.

“We attended the Agriculture Bioscience International Conference where our students listened to experts in research and industry. We spent lots of time on farms investigating soil samples, testing water and looking at technology to improve yields and reduce contamination.”

Presentations were made at the end of the visit, with students explaining their findings and making recommendations based on their research. "Our students had the most amazing time in Canada and have become close friends with students from across the world," said Mr Smith. "The trip was extremely enriching and an unforgettable experience."