Earthwatch Student Challenge Fellowship

What we offer

We have teamed with Earthwatch Australia to provide a Student Challenge Fellowship to Calperum Station (along the banks of the Murray River in South Australia) from 27 September to 3 October 2024.

This fellowship is valued at over $5,000.

Who is eligible

Students must:

• be in year 10, 11 or 12
• submit a Plant Science Project Award entry
• attend a state government school in any Australian state or territory
• have not participated in a previous Earthwatch Student Challenge expedition
• be available and have parental permission to travel to South Australia and attend the student challenge expedition from 27 September to 3 October 2024 (Note: these dates are outside the Queensland state school holidays)
• have applied by the competition closing date.

How to apply

Complete the Earthwatch Student Challenge Fellowship application form by the competition closing date.

Note: applications submitted through the Earthwatch Student Challenge website will not be considered for this award.

Students will be assessed on their responses to these questions:

• What interests you about the Earthwatch Student Challenge?
• What do you hope to learn from participating in the student challenge?
• Why do you love nature? Tell us about your personal experience with the natural world.
• Earthwatch expeditions require teamwork, often in difficult conditions. What experience do you have of working in a team? What qualities do you think contribute to effective teamwork?
• What plans do you have for your future? (e.g. career, study, travel etc.) How will participating on the student challenge help you meet your goals?
• What do you think are the most important actions you can or do take to help Australia's environment?
• Tell us about how you will apply your experience to demonstrate environmental leadership. For example, how will you use what you have learned, to do something for the environment?

Prize conditions

• If the fellowship recipient lives in a state or territory other than South Australia, they must arrange and cover their costs for return travel from their home to their nearest airport.
• Fellowship includes return transfers from airport arrivals in South Australia to the accommodation/venue.
• Fellowship recipient must provide written feedback (and photos if possible) to the Schools Plant Science Competition Coordinator about their experience, within 1 month of returning from the expedition.
• Fellowship recipient will be notified via email in late July and publicly announced during the DAF Hermitage Schools Plant Science Competition's annual Awards Day and Ag Science Expo held in August.
• If the fellowship recipient is currently in years 10 or 11 and unable to attend the expedition in South Australia for any reason, they may opt to attend a different expedition in Queensland in 2025. This must be done by notifying the Schools Plant Science Competition Coordinator no later than 20 August 2024.
• If the fellowship recipient is currently in year 12 and unable to attend the expedition, then the prize will be forfeited by that student and offered to the next deserving student.
• Fellowship is not transferable or redeemable for cash.