The SJWP seeks to raise young individuals’ engagement in the common water environment, on local as well as global levels. The aim is to support young students' interest in water conservation, water protection and water resources management.
Finalists at the international competition in Stockholm are the winners of national contests. Eligibility is open to young people up to the age of 20 who have not started higher education and who have contributed to water conservation and improvement through projects focusing on local, regional, national or global topics.
The winner receives a USD 5,000 award and a blue crystal sculpture in the shape of a water droplet. Though just one individual or group wins the international award each year, many national winners are produced and thousands of young people become involved in water and science issues as a result.
HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is the patron of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize. For more information visit the web site of the Stockholm International Water Institute.
International Competition
The 2005 Stockholm Junior Water Prize contest takes place during the World Water Week in Stockholm, August 21-27, 2005. Winners of national Stockholm Junior Water Prize competitions compete in the international final.
The international winner receives a USD 5,000 cash award and a blue crystal sculpture by Hanne Dreutler of Studio Glashyttan in Åhus, Sweden, crafted in the shape of a water droplet. An honourable mention award in the amount of USD 500 may also be presented. International finalists spend one week in Stockholm, where they exhibit their projects at the Stockholm Water Symposium, present their projects to the International Nominating Committee, and participate in lectures, study tours and social events.
How to participate
In all participating countries, the Stockholm International Water Institute co-operates with a national organization that arranges a national Stockholm Junior Water Prize contest. If you are interested in taking part in a national contest, contact your national organizer. If your country is not listed, there is no national contest there at this time. Please contact SIWI if you know of an organization that might be able to arrange a Stockholm Junior Water Prize contest in your country.
The contestants can compete with a practical project in the field of technology, natural and social science using innovative development methods and approaches to solve water problems. This means that the SJWP welcomes contestants in theoretical and applied science as well as projects aiming at solving community water problems. However, it is essential that all projects use a research oriented approach, which means that they should use scientifically accepted methodologies for investigation, experimentation, monitoring and reporting the results, including statistical analyses.
The SJWP gives students the opportunity to compete with the best of their contemporaries at a global level. The young scientists also have the chance to meet others with similar abilities and interests. The SJWP competition is held during the World Water Week and the Stockholm Water Symposium in August.
Dutch National Competition
In 2004 the Young Water Action Team organized the Dutch Junior Water Prize contest for the first time. For more information or brochures (in Dutch), please send an email to the YWAT Secretariat.
The contestants
Only those who have been awarded the top prize in a national Water Prize contest are eligible to participate in the International Final in Stockholm. In each participating country the national organizer is responsible for arranging a national contest and nominating a candidate to the International Final.
The national contest shall be open for all students not older than 20, or who are still in the Secondary High school or similar.
Projects can be carried out by an individual student or a group of students, however, no more than 3 students can represent the project in Stockholm.
Criteria for Participation
The competition for the SJWP award is open for projects aiming to improve the quality of life, through improvement of water quality, water resources management, water protection, water- and wastewater treatment as well as water education and social related aspects of water. The projects may focus on local, regional, national or global topics. Only projects that have been nominated by the national organizer in each participating country are admissible. Contestants shall provide a written project and a project display for public exhibition.
Written Project
The written project shall include the following parts:
The report may not exceed 15 pages, including illustrations, lists of references and appendixes.
The text should be single sided, 1 1/2 spaced, unbound and Times New Roman 12 points.
Of the 15 pages, illustrations shall not exceed 5 pages. Please note that the jury may deduct points for a project that exceeds or deviates from these guidelines.
The report must be written in English.
A clear and concise project title in English. This may be accompanied, if required, by the full scientific title.
The first section of the report must be a scientific summary (abstract) that briefly describes the important points of the project such as purpose, methods and materials, observations, conclusions and a brief explanation of how this project improves the quality of life. A separate description of the project, not more than 20 lines in simple English for publication in the finalist catalogue. Contestants must ensure that this brief project description is understandable by the reporting press and interested members of the wider public.
A detailed and accurate description of the support received from teachers, parents, scientists, etc., in carrying out the project.
Project Display
At the International Final in Stockholm, contestants shall set up their projects for display. The display is part of the contestant’s project and shall be used to exhibit the essential parts of the work. The display may include illustrations and demonstration material. Project displays shall follow the stand dimensions below:
- Two posters, each maxium sized 96 cm (wide) x 200 cm (high). Note that a table will be placed in front of the poster so ou may want to make the poster shorter than 2 meters.
- For other display material, each finalist will have a small table.
The stand and electrical connections will be provided by the Stockholm Water Foundation. All equipment (computers, printer etc.) must be brought by the contestants themselves, or rented locally at their own expense. Contestants are strongly advised to insure all their equipment. The Stockholm Water Foundation will not accept any responsibility for loss or damage.
SJWP Final
The SJWP final will take place on August 21-27, 2005. A jury will visit each project display to discuss the project and interview the contestants.
The exhibition will be located in the same area as the Stockholm Water Symposium. This means that finalists shall be prepared to explain their projects to researchers, politicians and the media.
Deadlines
The written project must be received by the Stockholm Water Foundation no later than July 1st, 2005. Through the office of their national organizer, contestants must ensure that the necessary arrangements are made for their project displays to arrive in Stockholm no later than August 19, 2005, if they are not brought by the students themselves.
For additional information and tips on how to write a project, go to "Students and Teachers Material" in the Stockholm Junior Water Prize Menu.
International Judging Criteria
These are the judging criteria that the Nominating Committee uses when reading the submitted project reports for the international Stockholm Junior Water Prize contest in August.
a) Relevance
Does the project target an important challenge within the water environment?
Can the project contribute to the improvement of the quality of life?
Is the project proposing innovative solutions to unsolved problems?
b) Creative ability
Shows the creativity of the project in relation to:
How to pose a problem
How to solve a problem
Analyzing data
Experiments or investigations
c) Methodology
Is there a clearly defined idea on which a result can be achieved?
Is the problem well defined?
In what way has it been limited?
Has the work been planned accordingly?
Is there adequate information upon which to draw conclusions?
Have the possible misinterpretations of the data been taken into consideration?
Are there any new questions or suggestions for continued research?
d) Subject Knowledge
Upon what sources has the work been based?
Is the list of references satisfactory? (Have the references really been studied?)
To what extent have sources of popular science been consulted?
Is the author familiar with the topic dealt with in his/her work?
Is the author knowledgeable of ongoing research in the field? Terminology?
Is the author familiar with alternative solutions?
e) Practical skills
Has the student made the exhibit him/or herself?
Has he/she carried out the measurements, etc.?
What help has been provided by parents, teachers, professionals etc.?
Has advantage been taken of material available in school?
From where has the equipment been obtained for the exhibit?
Was it self-made?
How well has available technique been used?
f) Presentation
Can the student present the work in a proper and informative way, both verbally and through the exhibit?
Is the content of the work well structured?
Does the display show any special qualities?
Has the display been given a personal touch?
Is the display appealing?
Is there a relationship between the display and text material?
Students and Teaching Material
The 2005 guidelines are available on www.siwi.org.
Sponsors
In every participating country, SJWP co-operates with a national organisation to arrange SJWP trials. The national organiser has the responsibility of procuring sponsors for the contest and for underwriting the cost of the national winner’s travelling to Stockholm for the international competition. The organisation shall engage sponsors in promoting the national contest and parts of the international contest. Click here to read about the sponsors of the the Dutch Junior Water Prize.
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