This following is a dispatch from Jorge Manuel Dengo O. from EARTH University’s Business Program. Following changes to the structure of the Prize program, delineated in a previous post, four finalists in their third year at EARTH were chosen to compete for the prize during their fourth year. EARTH will award the finalists $5,000 each to implement their project over the course of the year, under the guidance of EARTH faculty. The project that shows the most promise by graduation time will be awarded The Lab’s $10,000 Sustainability Prize.
This summer, four finalists for the Sustainability Prize at EARTH University 2016 were selected.
The Sustainability Prize has been sponsored by The Sustainability Laboratory since 2009, in recognition of the proposal that best incorporates The Lab’s “Five Core Principles of Sustainability.” This prize consists of $ 10,000 for the winner, with $1,000 earmarked for the prizewinner’s high school.
The event was held within the framework of Integration Week, Level III. Originally we started with a list of 17 projects and, in time, it was narrowed down to eight. During Integration Week, these eight projects, represented by 10 students, were presented, all of them seeking a balance between human activities, food production, and environmental conservation. We believe they were wonderful examples of the ability of youth to lead and present game-changing ideas for the benefit of humanity.
The 8 participating projects were:
- Integrated Farm in the Municipality of Samaipata, Santa Cruz, Bolivia by Lucia Fernandez
- Financial Inclusion for Entrepreneurial Women from Ngatataek Maasai, Kenya by Abigael Simaloi Pertet
- Fresh Foods Farmers Association by Justina Bentil, Philip Bissiwu, Primrose Najjemba
- Vermicompost Based on Organic Waste, as a Waste Management Alternative in Quito, Ecuador by Andrea Paola Ortega Montalvo
- Waranka Cavia, SA, a Company Devoted to the Production of Guinea Pigs by Maria Flor Guzman Brito
- Development of a Fortified Flour Based on Traditional Crops to Counter the Problem of Malnutrition in Guatemala and Costa Rica by Otto Enrique Quin Rivera
- Production and Marketing of Crafts Made of Fiber Banana Pseudostem from the Village of Pinula, Municipality of Tiquisate, Escuintla, Guatemala by Sindy Patricia Ramos Pocon
- Development of Semi-Mature Cheeses, Ricotta and Whey-Based Drinks as Gourmet Products such as gourmet cheeses, Promoting Typical Guatemalan Culture and Flavors with Ingredients Produced by Local Farmers in Retalhuleu, Guatemala by Antonio Bressani Cordova
We wish to thank all those who supported this process, especially Dr. Michael Ben-Eli, sponsor of the award, and Professor Irene Alvarado, for her guidance and perseverance in working with the students year after year.
The selection, in which teachers, students and other audience members participated, was a difficult job, full of excitement and anticipation.
Here are the results:
Finalist #1: Otto Quin Rivera: ” Development of a Fortified Flour Based on Traditional Crops to Counter the Problem of Malnutrition in Guatemala and Costa Rica.”
Finalist #2: Sindy Ramos Pocon with “Production and Marketing of Crafts Made of Fiber Banana Pseudostem from the Village of Pinula, Municipality of Tiquisate, Escuintla, Guatemala”
Finalist #3: Abigael Simaloi Pertet with “Financial Inclusion for Entrepreneurial Women from Ngatataek Maasai, Kenya”
Finalist #4: Andrea Ortega Montalvo with “Vermicompost Based on Organic Waste, as a Waste Management Alternative in Quito, Ecuador”
Congratulations to all the participants for their entrepreneurial efforts, especially those that made it through to the final. They will be entitled to financing for realization of the project prototype. In the next year, they will refine this idea and present it in the “Finals” for The Sustainability Prize. Best of luck to you all! Thank you for your ideas as we strive every day to make a better world!