The popular Innovation Competition always draws in some great entries – and we hope that this year, the 9th year, will be no exception! As always, there are cash prizes for the winning entry and two runner-up entries:
- 1st prize: £300
- 2nd prize: £100
- 3rd prize: £50
Entries can be submitted by individuals or by teams of not more than four people.
Through the competition we hope to encourage secondary school (or equivalent) youngsters from local schools and colleges* to come up with innovative ideas and engage with STEM topics (science, technology, engineering and maths).
With all the restrictions and uncertainty last year because of the pandemic we had to hold the final live online; this year we are looking forward to holding it in our more usual format with all youngsters that reach the final presenting to a panel of judges. We expect to be receiving entries by January, with the final entries coming in by the end of March 2022 and the final held later in the year.
Last year an entry from Simon Langton Boys School for a soil tester scooped the first prize, and over the years we have had a wonderful assortment of winners – from a Swiss Army makeup kit to a sophisticated corrective writing device for disabled people.
This year the competition is being run in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University and is supported by our Club, the Brett Group, James Clague Architects Ltd and The Kentish Gazette.
We are pleased to announce that yet again the Chowdhury family from Canterbury will be sponsoring a special Global Health prize for the best entry that is judged to help support global health. The 2021 winner was a solar powered water purification still, chosen because diseases that can be transmitted through impure water remain one of the biggest global killers.
Brian Dobinson, who is the main organiser and who has already been busy getting in touch with many local schools, says “We always enjoy reading entries from the students. We hope that entries will come from many other eligible schools and colleges in Kent, Essex, East Sussex, West Sussex and Surrey*”
*For further information and details of eligibility and our latest competition poster, please visit this page.
For news about last year’s winners please click here.
Finally – don’t forget our “Dear Future Self” competition is also underway; this year we are encouraging youngsters to write about careers and how they may change over the years. Read more here.
Picture: Part of our poster for the 2022 Innovation Competition. Picture credit:Rotary Club of Canterbury/Canterbury Christ Church University.
