R1.8m up for grabs for youngsters who care about the earth

Applications are open for The Earth Prize, a global environmental sustainability competition and “ideas incubator” for young people aged 13 to 19 years.

The Earth Prize, an initiative of The Earth Foundation, a Swiss non-profit based in Geneva, was introduced to empower young people, as well as reduce widespread youth climate anxiety by supporting applicants with all the tools they need to develop their eco-solutions for real life impact. This includes mentoring, learning resources and funding to scale up, among other things.

The Earth Foundation was founded by Peter McGarry when he witnessed thousands of pupils rallying during a school strike for the climate in 2019.

Since 2021, The Earth Prize has offered more than 10 000 young people across 154 countries and territories the opportunity to make a difference. Teams have invented pioneering tech-based solutions such as team FloodGate’s flooding prediction and warning system, to unique physical inventions like team CocoMellow’s banana-based eco diapers).

These ideas have garnered global media attention. Winners of The Earth Prize 2023, who invented a cutting-edge filter that recycles up to 90% of toxic laundry waste water, have since applied for a patent and built a partnership with a national manufacturer to make their solution a reality.

In the Western Cape, a team of five students from Zwelethemba High School in Worcester were shortlisted for their idea of an energy management solution that addresses the risky exposed wiring and power trading in slums and informal settlements in South Africa.

The team was shortlisted among 34 other global teams, and received Earth scholar distinctions.

In their application, the group wrote: “The ever increasing demand for electricity in South African slums poses a serious challenge for electricity distribution system operators, for the health of locals and the conservation of the local environment.

“A system to distribute, control and monitor energy consumption in marginalised communities is required to ease the power trading and distribution challenges. The energy management system will not only benefit the user economically but also benefit the utility as it will help the utility in reducing incidences of black outs and system overloading as well as making poor communities safer, cleaner and easy to regulate and environmental friendly.”

This year’s competition highlights Africa as one of the key regions, inviting young innovators from the continent to compete for a share of the 100 000 US Dollars - close to R1.8 million - in funding.

This year, for the first time, there will be seven regional winners, chosen by an expert adjudicating panel from around the globe.

Applicants will also now have access to one-on-one mentoring from the moment of registration, and each of the final seven regional winning teams will be receive 12 500 US Dollars (about R225 000) to scale up their eco inventions into real-life impact.

One global winner will be chosen from the seven regional winners through a public vote.

Applications close on Saturday November 30 at 11am

Visit www.theearthprize.org