About the prize
The Making Good Prize aims to showcase and celebrate young people’s innovative, STEM-rich ideas and designs that challenge social injustice and promote safe, sustainable communities.
In this first, inaugural year of the prize, applications were welcomed from any young person, or group of young people, who attend one of the six makerspace partners from the Making Spaces project. By providing a platform for youth-led making that focuses on promoting social good, the Making Good prize seeks to highlight the value of inclusive STEM participation and the powerful, inspiring role that young people can play creating safe, sustainable and socially just communities. The Making Good Prize 2023-2024 received 35 entries from nearly 100 participants from the six makerspace partners worldwide.
All entries submitted are displayed in the Making Spaces digital gallery (with consent from the entrants). The judges assessed all the entries and awarded prizes to those that excelled in one of the four prize categories (see below) in each age group (age 10-15 and age 16+). Additionally, ten entries were awarded ‘Highly Commended’.
Winners were celebrated at a reception, hosted in the UK by the Making Spaces project in June 2024.
Prize categories
- Safe:
Submissions that help make communities and the world a safer place. This might include protecting people and/or the natural world from harm. - Sustainable:
Submissions that support and promote environmentally sustainable living, protecting the planet and life on earth. - Social justice:
Submissions that support equity, inclusion and social justice and promote respect and wellbeing among individuals and communities. - Panel’s Choice:
A submission that was chosen by the judging panel for its overall high quality.
About the prizes
- Each prize has a monetary value of c.£150 and a certificate.
- Winning entries are displayed at the UK summer reception.
- Winning entries are celebrated through project media and publicity,
- All entries (not just prize winners) are showcased in an online gallery on the Making Spaces website that is shared and promoted internationally.
Prize judging
A panel of 12 judges from diverse, international backgrounds assessed the entries using the following criteria:
- An engaging idea/ design that is clearly presented.
- Shows imagination and creativity.
- Meets a social or environmental need
- Addresses at least one prize category theme.
- Primarily reflects the ideas and work of young people, rather than adults (although adults are allowed to assist where needed).
- Utilises and demonstrates STEM knowledge/ skills as part of the design/creation.
Celebrating young people’s work
Entries for the Making Good Prize 2023-2024 demonstrated innovative and engaging ideas, designs and prototypes that utilised STEM-rich knowledge and/or skills and met a social or environmental need either for their local community or shared global challenges. The forms of the entries greatly varied from physical making to digital designs and outputs.
To see some examples of young people’s relevant designs and making from phase one of the Making Spaces project, please click here.
To see all entries from young people from Nepal, Palestine, Slovenia, UK and USA from phase two of the Making Spaces project, please click here.
Making Good Prize - 2024 showcase
We displayed and announced the Making Good Prize 2024 winners at our Resource Launch event in London on the 18th June 2024.
Watch the video to find out more!