Wubbo Ockels Prize for sustainable schools

This spring, schools from the Northern Netherlands that have distinguished themselves in the field of sustainability will be competing for the Wubbo Ockels Prize. The EUR 10,000 prize, which can be spent at the winning school’s discretion, is being made available by the Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, the NHL, Stenden University and the University of Groningen.

Schools can participate by submitting a ‘bid book’ in which they explain why they think they deserve the sustainability prize. The jury will focus on schools that have initiated extraordinary projects such as activity days with a sustainable aim or character, or initiatives to enable schools and other institutions to use energy in more sustainable ways.

Wubbo Ockels

The jury will be chaired by Wubbo Ockels, the first Dutch astronaut, who was also one of the founders of the Happy Energy platform and is famous for his Superbus, energy kite and Nuna projects, and the sailing ship Ecolution. In addition, he has been a professor at the University of Groningen and TU Delft for years. Ockels will present the prize to the winning school on Friday 21 June.

The prize aims to encourage schools and pupils to think about sustainability in a positive way. It is a continuation of an earlier version of the Wubbo Ockels Prize, which was awarded mainly to academics.

Wubbo Ockels himself was the first winner of the prize in 1986. ‘I am very happy with the Wubbo Ockels Prize 2.0’, he said about the new programme. ‘It has a stronger focus on young people, which means a stronger focus on their future and thus on sustainability.’

Primary schools

On Thursday 20 June, one day before the prize presentation, Wubbo Ockels will hold a lecture for the Children's University Groningen to which primary schools from the provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe will be invited. This lecture, too, will be all about sustainability.

Further information

- Dr Arjen Dijkstra, secretary of the Wubbo Ockels Prize jury, tel. 050-363 8184, e-mail a.f.b.dijkstra rug.nl

- www.wubboockelsprijs.eu