10 November 2005 Argentine team wins first International World ORT Design for Sustainability Competition A team from the ORT Technical School in Buenos Aires has won the inaugural International World ORT Design for Sustainability Competition. A special panel of judges chose the teams innovative Didactic Kit to Study Bio-purifying Organisms from among 16 high quality entries from Argentina, France, Israel, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and Uruguay. Each entry had to submit a portfolio of their project, including pictures of the three-dimensional models they had built. Under the supervision of their teacher, Alejandro Ferrari, students Martin Micheles, Smeke Matias and Smeke Federico designed and built a device that purifies water using biological processes. The winning entry impressed judges for its green credentials as well as its inventiveness, said World ORTs Research and Development Coordinator, Dr Osnat Dagan, who organised the competition. The winning Argentine entry in use. They recycled materials, such as an old bottle, to make a kit which will be used to introduce students to the importance of purifying water by biological rather than chemical means. The students idea was to teach their peers about the rarity of fresh, clean water and the importance of purifying it using safe, non-polluting methods. Joining Dr Dagan on the judging panel were Professor Alexey Semenov from Russia, Jonas Paiuk from Argentina, Jose Garcon from France, Professor Ehud Krol from ORT Braude in Israel, and World ORTs Head of Jewish Education, Judah Harstein. The winning team has won a three-day trip to London to coincide with the closing session of the fourth annual Hatter Technology Seminar, on November 26. The runners up ORT Moldova student Virchich Ruslan, in second place, and Achlam Maslacha, Achmed Omri and Muchamad Omri, from ORT Achva Gilboa High School in Israel, in third place are also set to receive valuable prizes. All participants will receive certificates and gifts. All the entries will be presented on the World ORT Design for Sustainability Competition website at http://designcomp.ort.org.