President Danilo Medina and Vice President Margarita Cedeno have announced the winner of the national contest for designing a school desk for elementary and middle school students that will be contracted for Dominican public schools. The Presidency and the Ministry of Education organized the contest. Architect Luis Alejandro Perez Sanchez was the winner, selected from 486 entries. He received RD$1 million and the right to contract the first 100,000 desks. The nine finalists, who received RD$100,000 each, were Rony Avila Garcia, Tomas Antonio Tezanos Baez, Ramon Danilo Correa Rodriguez, Miguel Lugo Gonzalez, Julio Jose Abad Angeles, Leannis Norelis Lebron Medina, Edwin Corniel Hernandez, Matias Del Santei and the trio of Anna Priscilla Bujosa Garcia, Virginia Figuereo Simon and Fernando Ferran.
Members of the jury were specialists in ergonomics, architecture, design, occupational health and costs from the UASD, UNPHU, UNIBE, PUCMM and INTEC universities, the INFOTEP training center, the IBBI innovation center and the National Industrial Property Office (ONAPI). Architect Perez said that the desk costs RD$3,000-RD$3,500 per unit to produce, can last 100 years and the only thing that would need to be changed is the wood when it is damaged.
At a ceremony at the Presidential Palace yesterday, Thursday 11 April, the Minister of Education Josefina Pimentel said that the winning desk is functional and modern and is engineered for comfortable sitting for long hours. Initially, it will be ordered for schools that have introduced full days, where students attend classes in the mornings and afternoons. The desk has room for books and school supplies, supports the use of electronic devices and can be used by left or right-handed students.
Presidency Minister Gustavo Montalvo, Administrative Minister Jose Ramon Peralta, Higher Education Minister Ligia Amada Melo and Minister of Industry & Commerce Jose del Castillo Savinon also attended the event.
http://presidencia.gob.do/noticia.php?type=release&id=1713