EATON — Eaton High School junior Katelyn Niehaus was the Ohio winner of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize and will compete this June in North Carolina for the opportunity to represent the United States at the Stockholm Junior Water International Prize competition in Stockholm, Sweden.
Niehaus’ research focused on reducing fertilizer runoff by close monitoring of nutrient levels in the soil via the use of a smart soil tester and app.
The Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) is the world’s most prestigious youth award for a water-related science project. The prize taps into the unlimited potential of today’s high school students as they seek to address current and future water challenges. (source: http://wef.org/resources/for-the-public/SJWP/)
The competition
Each year, thousands of participants in over 30 countries from all around the globe join national competitions in hopes of earning the chance to represent their nation at the international final held during the World Water Week in Stockholm.
The national and international competitions are open to young people between the ages of 15 and 20 who have conducted water-related projects of proven environmental, scientific, social or technological significance. The projects range from local or regional to national or global topics.
The winner of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize receives a USD $15,000 award, a blue crystal prize sculpture, a diploma as well as the stay in Stockholm. The prize is awarded by H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, the Patron of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize.
What does it mean to get to the international final?
Finalists from the participating countries are invited to Stockholm for five days where they take part in the global conference through a variety of activities. Inside the World Water Week conference venue, a poster exhibition of all student projects will give the finalists an opportunity to discuss their projects with the wide range of conference attendees, including researchers, politicians and media. Each of the finalists is further interviewed by a jury of international experts, who decide on the winner announced at the prize ceremony.
Finalists of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize are also invited to join WaterTank, an exclusive alumni network for finalists. Through this network, finalists are able to connect and collaborate with each other as well with expert mentors and advisors from leading organizations, such as Xylem Inc., Raincoat Foundation and SIWI. The aim is to help these bright minds advance their projects as well as keep them engaged in the water sector.
