More than 4,400 students from 150 countries participate in Xylem Global Student Innovation Challenge
Teams from the Philippines and Algeria take top honors in competition to develop new water conservation and sustainability solutions.
As global water challenges escalate, it’s more important than ever to encourage the next generation of water innovators. Xylem recently announced the grand prize winners of the 2024 Xylem Global Student Innovation Challenge, an annual competition hosted by Xylem’s youth program, Xylem Ignite. The challenge invites high school and university students to develop solutions to the world’s biggest water security and sustainability threats.
More than 4,400 young people from across the globe entered the competition, which asked participants to develop solutions to three critical issues: reducing ocean plastic waste, lowering indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with enhanced water purification methods, and raising awareness about sustainability and water conservation. Student participation in the program has grown nearly sevenfold since its inception in 2021, while the number of countries represented has tripled.
The 2024 grand prize winner in the university division was “The Blue: Immersive Water Conservation Learning Experience” from the University of Boumerdes in Algeria. The team developed an idea for a gamified learning experience focused on water-related issues including sustainable wastewater management and the benefits of rainwater capture.
The grand prize winner in the high school division was “Team AGWE – God of Water: Be Empowered. Take Action” from the Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science in the Philippines. The team created a concept for an experiential engagement tool that includes an online education module, augmented reality and gamification to inspire youth to conserve water and care about water issues.
Team AGWE
Making Waves spoke with Team AGWE about their experience participating in the innovation challenge and why young innovators should bring their talents and passion to the challenge of solving water. Team AGWE members include: Tristan Jhon Bautista, Marcus Joshua “MJ” Cambi, Mauren Cheyenne Dijamco, Alexander Matthew Natano and Julia Hanne Pal.
Q: Why did you join the competition?
Alexander: We didn’t think there was much we could do as young people to solve issues, like water challenges, on a global scale. But being given a platform [through the competition] to push ourselves and contribute to society gave us an opportunity. We took the opportunity and lo and behold, this is where we got. So, if you're given an opportunity, always take it.
Q: What was the most rewarding part of participating in the challenge?
Julia: The best part of being in this competition was being able to meet mentors who are very encouraging and knowledgeable in the field of project creation. We learned a lot about how to improve our projects, and we learned about the issues of water and how they affect our community.
Q: What are your plans for your project?
Mauren: Our next step is to turn these ideas into reality so we can reach a wider audience. We want to inspire more people, particularly youth, to participate in these kinds of innovation challenges. To achieve this, we plan to partner with water-related organizations, specifically with Xylem through their incubation program.
Q: What would you say to encourage other students to participate in innovation activities?
Tristan: Young people will encounter challenges throughout our lives. Through Xylem, we were able to be part of a solution to one of those challenges, which is how to solve water. Why not take the chance to be part of the solution and join a water innovation competition, like Xylem Ignite?
Q: Closing thoughts on the Xylem Global Student Innovation Challenge?
MJ: All of us – whether we’re teenagers, grownups or whatever age group you are in – we all have a voice and a role to play in being part of the solution to save water across the world.
Learn more about Xylem Ignite.