A technology conference took more than 600 middle and high school pupils through topics that ranged from satellite communications to soil science.

Sustainability and sustainable technology were the topics for the Economic Development Department’s fifth annual digital leadership conference this month.

Jason Hayward, the economy and labour minister, said the conference brought students the “information and skills to become the next generation of technology influencers, entrepreneurs and leaders”.

Virtual interactive workshops in the morning were followed by sustainability projects at their schools in the afternoons – including planting, building compost bins and setting up a mini aquaponics unit.

The two-day forum included a virtual tour of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Speakers from the island and overseas included Udit Singhal, the chief executive of Glass2Sand – a company set up to turn glass waste into useful material.

Stuart Kreindler and Stratton Hatfield from BE Solar talked about the conversion of sunlight to electricity and Greg Wilson of Food Forest gave a virtual tour that showed the group how to grow their own food.

Being “good digital citizens” was the topic of a class with Detective Inspector Kenten Trott of the Bermuda Police Service.

Ilham Ali, an MIT graduate student and research assistant, showed how satellites assisted with sustainability and economic development around the world.

A’ric Jackson spoke on sustainable leadership.

Several island businesses and volunteers pitched in with planning and moderation.

The EDD singled out Roderick Simmons, a carpenter who built the wooden sustainability projects; Stephany Outerbridge and Denae Burchall from the Coalition for the Protection of Children; Joseph Weeks, a technical science lecturer at Bermuda College; and Kevin DaCosta, a technology consultant for thanks.