HICES’ Earthshot Challenge is underway!
In an Australian first within the schools’ sector, Year 10 students at The McDonald College have banded together for a cross-curricular initiative between the Science and Geography departments to produce submissions for Prince William’s Earthshot Prize.
Established in 2020, the Prize is designed to uncover and scale innovative solutions that will repair our planet within the next ten years.
Each year, five solutions are awarded £1 million (AUD$1.8M) – affording the winners access to support that will ensure their solutions are realised and scaled to drive real impact for our planet. This year’s awards will be presented by Prince William, Sir David Attenborough, and a raft of popular culture icons / change advocates such as Bob Irwin (Earthshot Prize Australian ambassador).
Next Tuesday – 11 groups of students will present their ideas to an internal judging panel at The McDonald College. The best pitches will be developed as submissions for the 2023 Earth Prize. Their ideas address the themes of: Protect and restore nature; Clean our air; Revive our oceans; and Build a waste-free world.
Ms Sarah Mathis (Head of Science) and Mr Nathan Fallon (Head of HSIE) at the College said in a joint statement: “What we are seeing with the current cohort of students is a feeling of deep responsibility to reverse past generations’ damage to the planet. Some of the students’ pitches are uniquely Australian, and extraordinarily innovative. We will do everything we can to support their submissions for this prestigious prize.”
Mrs Maxine Kohler, Principal said: “Our students’ creativity in the performing arts space often transpires as creative problem-solving for the real-world. We could not be prouder of them for engaging in this cross- curricular collaboration in the name of an urgent cause.”
UPDATE: Students in Year 10 presented their submissions yesterday to a panel of College judges. The best submission will be developed for entry into The Earthshot Prize 2023.
Launched in 2020 by Prince William and David Attenborough, the winners are selected by the Earthshot Prize Council. The Earthshot Prize is designed to find and grow the solutions that will repair our planet in the next decade. Earthshot believes in the power of human ingenuity to prove that the seemingly impossible is possible.
Presentations were made by:
Bite Big – Lilina, Emma, Pamelia, Cooper, Annie
Gaia’s Corridor – Emelia, Eevee, Jack, Kirkland
Public Transport Transformation – Danny, Alex, Layla, Alani
Bovine Busters – Genevieve, Caitlin, Lily, Abbie, Tara
Diving Deep – Nihal, Marcus
SOLAR IS HOT! – Ava, Harry, Lily
Upcycle 3D – Carly, Tom, Livinia
Mass Driver Initiative – Teddy, Frank, Ashu, Jamie
Collect and Connect – Rory, Zoe, Henry, Catani
Yellow Bellied Glider Conservation Project (YBGCP) – Antonia, Rosie, Brielle
Sweet as Can Bee – Mia, Sienna, Mollie
Congratulations to Mr Fallon and Ms Mathis for bringing the Science and Geography departments together to raise students awareness of how they can make a difference in this world and their future.
