Virtual Booth

The integration of practical and real-world activities into STEM education is essential for helping students connect theoretical knowledge with meaningful applications. However, many electronics learning activities focus mainly on conventional circuits and may provide limited opportunities to integrate sustainability, experimentation, and problem-solving within a single learning experience. This project introduces Waste-to-Watts: An Energy Harvesting Educational Kit, a hands-on STEM platform that uses discarded AAA alkaline batteries as a learning resource. The kit guides students through a structured learning journey involving battery investigation, electrical measurement, circuit construction, low-voltage energy conversion, energy storage, and practical application. Students measure battery voltage, current, and internal resistance, construct and test a Joule-Thief boost converter, investigate different circuit configurations, monitor supercapacitor charging, calculate stored energy, and apply the recovered energy to operate a low-power electronic device. Experimental validation showed that the system could charge a 1 F supercapacitor to approximately 5.1 V and successfully power an ESP32-based temperature and humidity sensor node. The innovation transforms an everyday waste problem into an interactive STEM learning experience that promotes inquiry, experimentation, data analysis, engineering design, and sustainability awareness. Its low-cost, portable, and modular design offers potential for implementation in schools, higher education institutions, and STEM outreach programmes.