Helping youth put their thoughts and ideas into actions and outcomes, is startup EarthTech, a company who is helping young people make the discoveries, create the technologies and build the companies needed to save the planet and our future.
EarthTech says their goal is to help the world meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Our youth’s greatest challenge
The science is clear,’ say EarthTech founders Ant Moorhouse and Brian Keayes. ‘The seconds Industrial Revolution (fossil fuels) has created a modern way of life that is unsustainable.
‘We have created a climate crisis and are facing an ecological catastrophe if we don’t radically change our trajectory.
The pair say that according to the Australian Council for Educational Research, student engagement and performance is declining, and we do not have the supply of qualified teachers we need to improve learning.
‘The curriculum is unbalanced and fragmented, leading to disinterest among students. Their recommendations include universal intervention programs to close the gaps, encourage broader participation and stimulate interest through affordable and accessible out-of-school activities.
‘The confronting reality of the crisis is transforming young identities and their sense of self and existence is being fundamentally altered.
‘There is a growing collective consciousness that as a species we need to act. Unfortunately, most of us don’t know how, and our youth are particularly vulnerable to feelings of disillusionment, frustration, anxiousness and fear of what the future looks like for the planet, themselves and their future families.
‘Our youth’s empathy, consciousness and ability to band together in a time of crisis is fast becoming evident in the recent emergence of the unprecedented global ‘climate justice movement’ inspired by Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old climate activist and Nobel Peace prize nominee. Demanding inclusion, and an urgency to address the ecological crisis as an educational priority.
EarthTech hope that the Challenge is will be the solution to our youth’s greatest challenge.
The Challenge
The project invites 13 to 29-year-old visionaries, scientists, technologists, creatives and environmental warriors to participate in an unprecedented challenge.
Teams nominate for a challenge and submit their solution in one of the following five categories: Clean Air, Clean Water, Clean Food, Clean Energy and Circular Economy.
The EarthTech cloud-based platform provides teams with frictionless onboarding, access to expert educational material and mentorship, as well as public and expert voting to select the final winners.
The winners receive an all-expenses-paid trip to MakePeace Island in Noosa and a cash prize.
In partnership with Noosa Council, winning teams commence their pilot program within Noosa’s UNESCO Biosphere, giving teams a strategic first customer.
The challenge flows over a six week period during the Australian summer school holidays.
The aim is for 2000 teams to create a technology-based solution in one of five categories.
During this time, teams are supported with a series of six integrated free webinars designed to connect scientific, technology, design and innovation expertise in a coherent way.
World-class mentors are also available to help the teams during the challenge.
Each team is required to submit a weekly progress video, receiving expert feedback to ensure they remain on task.
A final video submission is due at the close of the competition.
Once the competition closes the voting mechanisms will open and the category winners determined, once 51% public and 49% expert votes are reviewed and collated.
Voting focuses on the ability to incorporate existing technologies, the teams’ overall narrative presentation and design of their brand, their product/service tangibility as well as the ability for their product/service to exponentially make an impact.
The overall winners are decided at MakePeace Island on Feb 2020.
Prize Winners
Three people from each winning team will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Noosa* with accommodation, flights and tickets to the inaugural event on MakePeace Island in February 2020.
The winners will also be invited to launch their pilot solution with support and funding from the Noosa Council.
Each category winner will be mentored and coached over the weekend at MakePeace to sharpen their solution and prepare their final pitch.
They will present to the judging panel, and an overall winner will win a final prize.
There will be other prizes provided by EarthTech sponsors.
*if under 18, one legal parent or guardian will be required to accompany the winner at EarthTech’s expense.
EarthTech in Byron Bay
The EarthTech crew will be in Byron Bay tonight.
They will be telling the Byron community about EarthTech tonight at Byron Theatre and prior to a screening of 2040 as part of the Preparedness Week events.
Byron Theatre 69 Jonson St Byron Bay, 7pm.
Cost – Full $20 | Concession $15 | Byron Theatre Club $15
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