Paradise High School and Jubilee Secondary School in Port Moresby city have respectably emerged as top winners in their category at the National Information and Communications Technology Authority’s (NICTA) PNG@50 Schools Technology Competition, an initiative designed to inspire innovation and digital creativity among young Papua New Guineans.
The winners were officially announced and awarded their prizes on 27th January 2026 in Port Moresby, marking the culmination of a nationwide school’s competition held last year under the theme “Connecting Generations: 50 Years of Telecommunications in Papua New Guinea.”
The competition brought together primary and secondary students from across the country, challenging them to imagine how technology can bridge distances, preserve culture and improve everyday life in schools and communities.
NICTA organized the competition as part of PNG’s 50th Independence anniversary celebrations, with the aim of promoting creativity, imagination, innovation and digital literacy among students.
The Primary School Competition, titled “My Dream Device,” invited students to design original artwork and write short descriptions of futuristic communication devices that help people stay connected across generations.
The Secondary School Competition, known as the App Design Concept Challenge, required students to identify real-world problems in their schools or communities and propose digital solutions aligned with the “Connecting Generations” theme.
Primary School winners.
In the Primary School category, Paradise High School dominated the top positions:
• 1st Place: Caroline Aufa (Paradise High School)
• 2nd Place: Dorothy Kome (Paradise High School)
• 3rd Place: Zoey Andrea Reyes (SouthBridges International)
Judges praised the entries for their originality and thoughtful approaches to future communication technologies.
Secondary School winners.
The Secondary School category highlighted practical, community-focused digital concepts.
• First place was awarded to Jubilee Secondary School, represented by a team of three students: Garry Avira, Alfred Miro and Markson Betuels. Their winning concept, EduConnect, is a prototype learning assistant designed to improve student performance and strengthen communication between students, teachers and parents.
• Second place went to Apryll Sarufa of Port Moresby International School (POMIS) for Tingim Pasin Tumbuna, a cultural learning app concept aimed at preserving and promoting Papua New Guinea’s traditions. The app includes sections on traditional dances, languages, customs, legends, recipes, interactive maps and multimedia tools.
• Third place was awarded to Kerrianna Kare of Highlands Lutheran International School for SafeLearn Community, a safety and learning continuity app designed to support students during times of tribal conflict. The concept includes real-time security alerts, safe check-in and check-out features, parent updates, and virtual classrooms that function both online and offline.
The app concept features NFC-based attendance with real-time notifications, an academic performance dashboard, and access to digital learning resources such as notes, quizzes, recorded lessons and discussion forums.
The judging panel consisted of representatives from Digicel PNG Limited, Vodafone, and NICTA. Judges described the process as highly competitive, citing the strong quality of entries across both categories.
NICTA Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Polume Lume, congratulated all participants and acknowledged the broader support behind the competition.
“NICTA would like to congratulate all winners and participants, and we acknowledge the support of teachers and parents in helping students participate and showcase their ideas,” Mr. Lume said.
He also thanked the competition’s sponsoring partners for their contributions.
“NICTA would also like to acknowledge the wonderful support of our sponsoring partners Digicel PNG Limited and Vodafone who contributed to the prizes being awarded here today,” he said.
The competition highlights the growing potential of young Papua New Guineans to shape the country’s ICT future, particularly as PNG reflects on five decades of telecommunications development.
With strong interest and innovative ideas on display, NICTA has indicated that similar initiatives may continue as part of its broader efforts to build digital skills and prepare the next generation for leadership in the ICT sector.
