Middle and High School Innovation Competition

The middle and high school innovation competition mobilizes students around innovative projects, while contributing to the promotion of science and technology among younger generations.

The culminating moment of the project for the deployment of environmental technologies and innovations for sustainable development and poverty reduction (PDTIE), the Exhibition of Environmental Sciences, Technologies and Innovations for Sustainable Development will be held in Central Africa in November – December 2024. aims to bring together young innovators, investors, the business world and change agents around ecological and innovative entrepreneurship in the Congo Basin. As a prelude to this unique event, the College and High School Innovation Competition offers a unique platform to promote environmental innovation among young talents in the region.

Objectives

• National implementation partners of the project for the deployment of environmental technologies and innovations for sustainable development and poverty reduction (PDTIE), Kongo University in the DRC and Ingénieurs Sans Frontières in Cameroon are organizing the Innovation Competition for Colleges and High schools to encourage students to develop creative and sustainable solutions to meet environmental challenges. The aim is to stimulate innovation among young people in the service of sustainable development in the Congo Basin. This competition offers them the opportunity to transform their ideas into concrete actions, while contributing to a more sustainable future for Central Africa.

Themes

• Projects submitted to the competition can address a wide range of themes related to environmental innovation, such as:
  • Sustainable agriculture and agri-food.
  • Green construction and infrastructure.
  • Health, cosmetics and well-being.
  • Forestry, silviculture and natural regeneration.
  • Innovative waste management.
  • Water, renewable energies and energy efficiency.
  • IT, digital and artificial intelligence.

Prizes Information

• The best teams will be recognized at an awards ceremony, with awards such as:
  • Financial prices for project development;
  • Mentoring and networking opportunities with industry experts;
  • Media visibility and public recognition for the winning projects.

Eligibility Criteria

• The competition is open to teams of students from middle and high schools in Kinshasa and Yaoundé, with the following criteria:
  • Be aged 10 to 18 and of Congolese or Cameroonian nationality;
  • Teams must be made up of students from the same school;
  • Each team must be supervised by at least one teacher;
  • Submitted projects must be original, innovative and focused on environmental sustainability.

Conditions 

• To participate in the competition, teams must follow the following steps:
  • Submit an application file detailing their environmental innovation project;
  • Present their project at the Environmental Science, Technology and Innovation Fair in front of a jury of experts;
  • Respect deadlines for submitting applications and preparing presentations.

For more information, visit International Organization of La Francophonie.