The remarkable passion and dedication of young individuals for the cause of environmental sustainability became unmistakably apparent during the global wave of school strikes in 2019, a movement ignited by the inspirational actions of environmental activist Greta Thunberg. Embracing this fervor, The Earth Prize stands as a beacon of hope and a catalyst for change within secondary education. Spearheaded by The Earth Foundation, The Earth Prize is an annual global initiative that empowers secondary school students aged 13 to 19. This prestigious competition boasts a substantial $200,000 prize pool, destined to reward the most promising teams whose projects exhibit the potential to address critical environmental issues. The Earth Prize is more than just a competition; it’s a transformative journey. Through this platform, students are not only challenged but also provided with mentorship and inspiration, enabling them to translate their passion into concrete action. They have the unique opportunity to craft their own environmental sustainability projects, products, organizations, or enterprises, fostering a new generation of eco-conscious leaders poised to make a lasting impact on our planet. Embark on a journey with the ACS Athens Earth Prize Team to find solutions of the pressing needs of our planet.
OBJECTIVES OF THE EARTH PRIZE TEAM Students will:
➔ Define a real-world problem that has local, national or global environmental effects.
➔ Collaborate in teams to propose solutions to environmental challenges in the form of a device, method, software, app or other tool.
➔ Gather and apply scientific information from credible sources.
➔ Experience a design process that blends science, design, engineering, finance, and entrepreneurship.
➔ Calculate prospective impacts and benefits of proposed designs.
➔ Determine financial viability of different proposals and designs.
➔ Develop an implementation plan.
➔ Identify and engage with key stakeholders that could support the project.
➔ Communicate and present what they designed and how they designed it to a wide audience.
➔ Defend how their solution contributes to addressing their respective chosen Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).
Prerequisites to join:
- Age 13-19 years old on November 30th, 2023;
- Current ACS Athens High School student;
- Aspiring Innovators, Entrepreneurs, Designers, STEM scientists, Environmentalists;
- Must attend weekly team meetings (excluding school holidays); Up to 3 absences allowed;
- Must be available until Jan. 31st 2024 (unless listed as a Prize Finalist and would need to be available until April 3rd);
- Parental Consent and Release Form signed.
Sign up by: September 25th, 2023
Meetup Dates: Mondays / 4 – 5.30 pm
- Sept 25
- Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
- Nov 6,13, 27
- Dec 4, 11, 18
- Jan 8, 15
About the Coach:
Dr. Natalie Mitchell was raised in Louisiana, USA, prior to attending high school at ACS. She earned her BSc. and MSc. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Greenwich, London. While working for the UK National Health Service (NHS) in infectious disease diagnostics, she was awarded Runner-Up Innovation of the Year for the invention and development of a rapid detection method for multi-drug resistant bacteria. She moved to Greece to continue her research in Professor Eleni Giamarellou’s lab at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens at Attikon Hospital, before moving back to the US. At the Biodesign Institute of Arizona State University (ASU), she developed recombinant and attenuated vaccines before embarking on a PhD in Microbiology at ASU, where she was the recipient of a prestigious Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Fellowship. Her PhD involved biomarker discovery using mass spectrometry and led to multiple additional patents. Dr. Mitchell got the “bug” for teaching at ASU, where she taught Biology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Immunology to undergraduates, as well as mentored Capstone and Honors projects. She has co-authored multiple scientific articles with students and hopes to continue doing so at ACS. She has also taught at Grand Canyon University and the Mayo Clinic Medical School in Arizona. She has over a dozen peer-reviewed scientific publications, has given a number of scientific presentations around the world and is the author of 4 patents.
Fee: 50€
To join the team contact: theinstitute@acs.gr