Germany / Education

The changes.AWARD is a business plan competition that prepares school students for the challenges of their future with their own project ideas on current topics. The task is to realize a project together as a team - from the initial idea to the final concept, researching facts, interviewing the target group and drawing up a financial plan - and to inspire with a rousing presentation at the end of the project.

School students in EF and Q1 from NRW (North Rhine-Westphalia) can take part with a teacher who will supervise them. The teams, consisting of 3-5 members, will be supported by the organizers' coaches - digitally and in person. The winning team can look forward to an eventful trip to Japan's capital Tokyo. The students of the winning teams in 2nd and 3rd place can each look forward to a technology voucher worth EUR 1,000 and EUR 500 respectively.  

In 2024, under the motto “Generation Future”, everything was about developing sustainable ideas that change our lives.

A total of 24 teams from 14 schools in 6 cities across NRW competed for the coveted changes.AWARD 2024 prizes. The winner was the “Sole” team. The four students from the Theodor-Fliedner-Gymnasium in Düsseldorf impressed the jury with their innovative idea of developing a shoe with a replaceable sole.

The replaceable sole means that the entire shoe does not have to be replaced if only individual parts are broken. In addition, the shoe can be adapted both visually and functionally to the needs of the buyer. For example, one shoe can be used for different activities that require different soles.