The National Geographic Society and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation have announced five Top Honors submissions for the second annual Slingshot Challenge will receive $10,000 each and ten Significant Achievement submissions will receive $1,000 each to advance their projects and continue to explore big ideas.
- An app to minimize household food waste, a tree-planting robot, and programs to save a rare bird and the bees — these are just some of the solutions from the second year of the Slingshot Challenge, a global call for youth ages 13-18 to propose solutions to the planet’s environmental problems.
- The 2024 Slingshot Challenge received 2,134 one-minute video submissions from 87 countries.
- Between innovative uses of AI (artificial intelligence) and technology to detect and solve environmental problems to pitching community-driven awareness campaigns, the submissions proved that the explorer mindset is alive and well in this next generation of changemakers.
- Five Top Honors Award Recipients, noted below, stood out for their notably inquisitive drive to seek knowledge and think critically.
- These submissions join Slingshot Challenge award recipient alumni in receiving support and funding.
- Mazah: Food Waste Fighting App, Noga Gercsak, Gabrielle Gervacio, Shradha Bista, Riya Zingade, Ishika Meel, Prithika Venkatesh; Switzerland, U.S., Hong Kong: Developed an app that tracks food expiration dates & offers recipes to prevent household food waste.
- TERRABOX, Chidiebere Anigbogu, Nigeria: Created a STEM kit that empowers children to explore clean and renewable energy through play and creativity.
- Semilla de Esperanza (Seed of Hope), Ulises Yael Texta Ponce, Wiliam Artemio Texta Ponce, Diana Paola Ponce Nava, Perla Karina Ponce Gómez, Sasha Enriquez; Mexico: Protects the endangered green macaw through monitoring, reforestation, and community education.
- Trovador, Marta Bernardino, Portugal: Deploys a tree-planting robot to help reforest land devastated by wildfires in the mountains of Portugal.
- Urban Pollinators, Evelyn Pinot, Mexico: Built the first registry of native pollinator plants in Tapachula and created a thriving haven for urban pollinators.
- All awardees are invited to participate in National Geographic Society’s annual Explorers Festival in June, at which two additional awards will be announced: the Explorer Connection Award, given to the submission that draws the best connection to the work of a National Geographic Explorer, and the People’s Choice Award, given to the submission that receives the most votes from the general public.
- Voting for the People’s Choice Award is open until May 31, 2024 and can be accessed here.
About the Slingshot Challenge:
- Around the world, Slingshot Challenge alumni and community members are inspiring people to learn about, care for and act on behalf of the planet.
- Since its inauguration in 2023, funding has helped recipients develop prototypes, raise awareness for environmental issues, launch initiatives and connect others globally with a common goal: to make the world a better place.
- Additionally, and in the spirit of supporting as many outstanding ideas as possible, the National Geographic Society and Paul G. Allen Family Foundation are teaming up for a third year of the challenge — kicking off in the fall of 2024.
What they’re saying:
- Dr. Deborah Grayson, chief education officer at the National Geographic Society: “We’re thrilled to support these bold, young leaders as they aim to have a positive impact on the environment. As environmental champions, they teach us how to be positive changemakers by bringing fresh perspectives to our communities and creating lasting change for our planet.”
- Lara Littlefield, executive director of partnerships and programs at the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation: “A better future starts with empowering the next generation. The Slingshot Challenge represents our belief that youth are the key to unlocking new opportunities in conservation. We are confident that a global community of changemakers can stare down and conquer the environmental challenges that define our times.”