Award ceremony: Many high-quality projects were submitted for the THI Youth Sustainability Award

Pupils show strong innovative performance with practical ideas for action on the topic of sustainability. These are the winners

All award winners stand together for a group picture

The beaming winners of the Youth Sustainability Award of the TH Ingolstadt (Photo: THI)

The Youth Sustainability Award of Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI) was presented for the first time this year. First place was endowed with 1,500 euros - a hefty financial injection for a school company like the winning team from Oettingen. In total, prize money of almost 7,000 euros was distributed. More than 20 applications were received in two categories (team and individual).

A very entertaining highlight of the evening were the four pitches of the finalists in the team category. The student company Dupf with its potato project presented creatively and simulated a classic sales situation at its potato stall with a role play including a street musician and described in funny dialogues what the purpose of the student company is and how this is connected with sustainability. With a very sympathetic presentation, four students from the Sustainability Working Group of the Katharinen-Gymnasium then presented their Ingolstadt Sustainability Guide for Ingolstadt and immediately afterwards handed over the microphones to the "Waldbrandmelder" team from Ottobrunn - who led the way to their own invention with gripping images of fire disasters. The final presentation was given by the sisters Leonie and Zoë Prillwitz from Friedberg, both of whom are dedicated to the problem of microplastics in water bodies and presented the topic very clearly as well as their far-advanced filter prototypes.

"We were very excited about the quality of the submissions," emphasised laudator Dr. Michael Tretter, Managing Director of inas - Institute for Applied Sustainability, who presented all three prizes in the Individual category. "In a class of its own," said Tretter, "however, was the first-place winner Leonie Prillwitz with her work "Microplastics - Danger from the Household".

A central component of the application were videos in which the participants had to explain their motivation, their project and the reference to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. In addition to creativity and degree of innovation as well as a holistic approach, the 13-member jury was particularly interested in enthusiasm. "In order to anchor a sustainable idea in society, you need imitators and the ability to inspire people," said jury member Bettina Markl, who presented the audience award on behalf of Andreas Schmidt from Stadtwerke Ingolstadt. The entries could also take part in the public voting if they wished, and here there was a clear winner with 332 votes out of 586 received. The Dupf team was able to take another 500 euros back to Oettingen.

Leonie Prillwitz was also doubly rewarded for her commitment. Together with her sister Zoë, she received the "Claus Hipp Special Prize" of 1,500 euros for their fight against microplastics and the harmonious overall concept of the siblings.

In the end, 15 beaming young people stood on the steps in the THI auditorium and networked with the other actors already during the event. This is exactly the basic idea of the university and its partners. "Every participant has won, because the university can continue to accompany the young people with its network and the support is still available to everyone," said the evening's moderator, Christopher Reuter, at the end. Professor Dr. Holger Hoppe, jury member and head of the Sustainability and Environmental Management Bachelor's programme at the new campus in Neuburg, gave an outlook for the future in his closing words: "I am very happy that we can award the Youth Sustainability Prize to such committed young people bursting with energy and I am also looking forward to all future applications. Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences and its partners have already announced that the prize will be awarded annually from now on. All applications are online at www.thi.de/go/nachhaltigkeitspreis.


The prize winners at a glance:

First Place Team Award: Potato Project of the Secondary School in Oettingen

One of the company's main sources of income is the cultivation and regional marketing of potatoes. The profits go to charitable causes that again benefit either the school or the Oettingen region. "A project that encompasses all dimensions of sustainability," was the unanimous opinion of the jury.


Second place team prize: Forest Fire Detectors HTSPT from Ottobrunn

Project manager Maximilian Mayer handed over 1,000 euros donated by ifg Ingolstadt to the six-member team of forest fire detectors HTSPT from Ottobrunn. With the help of the 3-phase sensor technology with hotspot, a forest fire should already be detectable in the early smouldering phase. This reduces the time until the fire brigade arrives to a necessary minimum. The forest fire detector is primarily intended to help owners of smaller areas to protect themselves from infernos of flames. "A strong innovative achievement that can help curb the effects of climate change," said the jury, explaining its decision in favour of the team.

Third place team prize: AG Nachhaltigkeit of the Katharinen-Gymnasium Ingolstadt

500 euros donated by IRMA Regionalmanagement Region Ingolstadt e.V. and presented by Managing Director Iris Eberl went to the Sustainability Working Group of the Katharinen-Gymnasium. The goal of this group of students is to make everyday school life sustainable. With the first Ingolstadt Sustainability Guide, the commitment radiates beyond the schoolyard to the city. "You don't just apply sustainability in everyday school life, but make projects visible throughout the city and region, thus having a networking effect and providing simple approaches for action," said laudator Eberl, summarising the decision.

Claus Hipp Special Prize: "Microplastics - Occurrence and Avoidance" by Leonie and Zoë Prillwitz from Friedberg

One problem, a coherent overall concept, two sisters and three prototypes - that was worth a special prize worth 1,500 euros to the Hipp company. Leonie and Zoë Prillwitz have declared war on microplastics not only in the world's oceans, but also in local watercourses. To do this, Zoë first investigated the occurrence in Augsburg's watercourses and developed a sink filter. Her sisters Leonie supplemented with microfibre filters for the washing machine and dryer. Together they developed a concept for action and are very active publicly, as well as politically, to fight the problem. "A very mature concept in which everything is really thought through," Weichenrieder explained. In terms of publicity and media presence, the two sisters were also a "category of their own".

Individual Prize - donated by inas Institute for Applied Sustainability

First prize: Leonie Prillwitz from Friedberg with "Microplastics - Danger from the Household".

Dr. Michael Tretter, Managing Director of inas, described the work of Leonie Prillwitz as outstanding. She competed again in the Individual category, detached from her sister, with her work supplemented by other aspects. From the identification of the problem of microplastics to the development of the prototypes and the public relations work, the work met high scientific criteria and was therefore deservedly in first place.

Second prize: Lars Setz from Kösching with "Climate change - It starts with us".

In his W-seminar paper as part of the "Fit for future" seminar at the Gnadenthal Grammar School, Lars Setz provides approaches to what everyone can do to combat climate change. He clearly breaks down the effects of climate change and provides practical approaches for action across all areas of life. Lars Seth's work was "very action-oriented and stirring" and you could tell that he was "fully behind it", said laudator Dr. Michael Tretter about the placement.

Third prize: Christian Hofbauer from Ingolstadt with "Dealing responsibly with the world 2.0 - opportunities and risks of digitalisation".

In his W seminar paper, the pupil from the Gnadental Grammar School devoted himself to the opportunities and risks of digitalisation and, in a synthesis against the backdrop of the current Corona crisis, provided practical recommendations for action for dealing responsibly with World 2.0. "The pupil quickly grasped a current topic and also provided the idea of a guide for his classmates," said Tretter in praise of the commitment, which further complemented the W seminar paper and brought it to the application level.

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