SO WHAT IS BALANCE OF THE PLANET?





SCHOOLS, TEACHERS AND YOUTH ORGANISATIONS


You can enrol as many students from your school as you wish. All students will need to pair up with a classmate or someone they know at school or in their community, so they can work side-by-side. Each pair will then meet and join up with a pair of students from anywhere else in the world. Ideally all teams should have 4 students. Teams can have as many advisors and helpers as they wish, but only four students will be the officially recognised team.


All recognition letters and scholarship prizes will be offered to the official team members. The teams can choose from 1 to 3 contests

  1. a short paper Technical Innovation Plan (TIP) - minimum requirement for completion
  2. Video/Multimedia
  3. a larger Global Business Plan (GBP).

Each of the contests has a public rubric containing all of the criteria for judging. Team members and advisors can use the rubrics to pre-score the submissions.


Curtin University staff and external experts will score all submissions and all final determinations will be made by Curtin University staff of Balance of the Planet.


Outcomes

All team members who make significant contributions will receive award certificates and letters of commendation.


Schools will receive a report about teams and scoring results. Scholarship Awards will be offered for a number of top 3 scoring levels in all contests. Maximum value of awards are:

  1. Video ($200 per member)
  2. TIP ($300 per member)
  3. GBP ($500 per member).

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The United Nations SDGs are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The 17 goals provide clear guidelines and targets for all countries to work towards. Learn more at UN Sustainable Development Goals


Time Commitment and Workload

To complete Balance of the Planet, students will need to commit between one to four hours per week for from one week up to one school term (depending on your team's ideas, goals and teamwork).


Teachers can choose from three delivery methods:

  • EMBEDDED: Students work on Balance of the Planet during class time.
  • GUIDED: Students complete the bulk of the work at home, but consult with the teacher regularly.
  • INDEPENDENT: Students complete the work at home, only consulting the teacher when guidance is needed. ​

Schools can elect for participation to be either required or optional. We favour student choice and options, but you can adapt the program to fit your needs.


For teachers:

Easy to use.

Creates an individual student record of contribution to a group project.

Supports critical thinking and collaborative learning in a global context.

Gives students power over their ideas, the time and place of their work and the amount of their effort. ​


For learners:

Make global friends – form a team and meet people from other countries.

Change the world with your creative ideas.

Compete for scholarship funds, recognition letters and certificate of completion of university-level learning.

Propose a solution to one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).


There is no specific problem set for your team; your solution is for you to decide! You need to identify which Sustainable Development Goal/s interest you, refine your ideas, conduct your own creative research and clearly report to others so the ideas can be judged.


Submit by April 30 or October 31 to compete for placement as a top team of the contest, to receive letters of recognition, and to eligible for scholarship offers.


To get involved submit an EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FORM


For additional information contact Challenge@curtin.edu.au