On April 9, 2024, 140 young researchers presented their projects for “Jugend forscht” and “Schüler experimentieren” in the Thuringia state competition. At the award ceremony, many projects and Thuringian schools were awarded special prizes, including from the two state sponsors STIFT and Jenoptik.
Under the motto “Make a head!”, this year’s state competition was held for the first time in the event area of the Ernst Abbe sports field in Jena. The 140 young researchers presented a total of 72 projects in the seven subject areas of the world of work, biology, chemistry, earth and space sciences, mathematics/computer science, physics and technology in the two competition categories “Schüler experimentieren” (4th grade to 14 years) and “Jugend forscht” (15 to 21 years). The participants had previously qualified in seven Thuringian regional competitions.
The Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research Thuringia (STIFT) and the JENOPTIK AG were once again responsible for the organisation of the state competition as sponsoring companies. They were represented by Adrian König, Head of Innovation Management at Jenoptik, and Dr. Sven Günther, Member of the Executive Board of STIFT.
Award ceremony and special award ceremony
At the award ceremony on the afternoon of 9 April 2024, the first, second and third place winners in their respective fields received their awards, as well as the best interdisciplinary project and all other (special) prize winners. The projects were evaluated by a jury made up of representatives of Thuringian schools and universities, institutes and companies.
The award ceremony was moderated by Daniela Schmidt, MDR Wissen. After a study by the state competition director Dr. Uta Purgahn (Jugend forscht) and the state competition director Tom Fleischhauer (Schüler experimentieren).
Winners Students experiment
Working environment: Karlson Lindel, Konrad Brier and Nino Ermisch | Mampfi | Jenaplan School Erfurt
Biology: Jasmina Gössel | Our teeth in the experiment | Albert-Schweitzer-Gymnasium Ruhla
Chemistry: Anouk Fischer | acidic-alkaline-colorful: In search of a universal indicator | acidic-alkaline-colourful: In search of a universal indicator
Earth and Space Sciences: Theodor Bayer | Danger to the eternal ice! Is Saharan sand shrinking glacial ice? | Carl-Zeiss-Gymnasium Jena
Mathematics/Computer Science: Darius Laska | Arithmetic enthusiasts | Christian Grammar School Jena
Physics: Rebecca Heß | How good was Archimedes really? – Volume sentiment in comparison | Staatliches Gymnasium “Erasmus Reinhold” Saalfeld
Technology: Paul Schön, Bruno Tehil and Phil Weiland | Controller vs. Data Glove | Staatliches Gymnasium “Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi” Stadtroda
Interdisciplinary Project: Manuel Rohe | Ceasar, what’s up, bro? | Staatliches Gymnasium “Prof. Fritz Hofmann” Kölleda
A big round of applause goes to the young researchers from the “Students experiment” category! Your participation has enriched the competition and shows the enormous potential that lies in the next generation of scientists and researchers. We’re proud to have seen your work and look forward to seeing you evolve and live out your passion for discovering, exploring, and inventing in the future. Congratulations on your accomplishments, and we can’t wait to follow your future achievements!
Winners of Jugend forscht
Working environment: Nico Richard Lentsch, Dustin Marggraff and Marvin Heyne | Pneumonea Detection Using Convolutional Neural Networks | Staatliches Gymnasium “Albert Schweitzer” Erfurt
Biology: Andreas Neumann | Ultrasonic world of plants | Staatliches Lerchenberggymnasium Altenburg
Chemistry – Albert-V. Meyer, Joshua Schraud and Paula Kaltwasser | Ester, Acid or Amine?– Evaluation of IR Spectra by Artificial Intelligence | Staatliches Gymnasium “Albert Schweitzer” Erfurt
Earth and Space Sciences: Maximilian Kirchner and Paul Spencer-Buff | Comparison of high- and low-temperature superconductivity in geomagnetic ground scans | Goethe School Ilmenau State Grammar School
Mathematics/Computer Science: Jana Leistritz | Different Methods for Calculating the Coordinates of the Center of the Inner Circle in the Triangle | Goethe School Ilmenau State Grammar School
Physics: Magnus Kirbach, Johann Vogel and Lorenz Osburg | Modelling of the influence of wind on the grain size distribution in megaripples | Staatliches Gymnasium “Albert Schweitzer” Erfurt
Technician: Xuancheng Zhao and Maria Maternik | Building & Testing a Rocket Nozzle | Landesschule Pforta und Salzmannschule Schnepfenthal – Staatliches Spezialgymnasium für Sprachen
The winners of the state competition “Jugend forscht” qualified for the national competition, which will take place in Heilbronn from May 30 to June 2, 2024.
SPECIAL PRICES
In addition to the “Jugend forscht” awards, there were numerous special prizes.
The Head of Jenoptik Innovation Management, Adrian König, awarded two Jenoptik special prizes to the following young researchers:
Jugend forscht | Working world: Nico Richard Lentsch, Dustin Marggraff and Marvin Heyne for the project “Pneumonea Detection using Convolutional Neural Networks”
Students experiment | Mathematics/Computer Science: Manuel Rohe for the project “Caesar, what’s up, bro?”
Dr. Sven Günther, Chairman of the Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research Thuringia (STIFT), awarded the “STIFT School Prizes” to the most successful Thuringian schools in the state competition:
Primary schools
Caspar Aquila Primary School Saalfeld, 1,000 euros
Grundschule am Steigerwald Erfurt, 750 Euro
Astrid Lindgren Primary School Gera, 500 euros
Secondary schools
Albert-Schweitzer-Gymnasium Ruhla, 1000 Euro
Staatliches Gymnasium “Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi” Stadtroda, 750 Euro
Staatliches Gymnasium “Prof. Fritz Hofmann” Kölleda, 500 Euro
Special Grammar School
Albert-Schweitzer-Gymnasium Erfurt, 1,000 euros
We would like to thank all participants. The passion and creativity you showed at the regional competitions and the state competition were impressive. We would like to encourage you to participate in Jugend forscht again next year, be it with new ideas or the further development of your existing projects.
Land-year commitment of the state sponsors
The state competition “Jugend forscht” is funded by the Thuringian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Science and Digital Society and the Thuringian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. Thuringia’s Minister of Economic Affairs Wolfgang Tiefensee and Thuringia’s Minister of Education Helmut Holter both got an idea of the achievements of the young researchers on site and welcomed the participants at the public award ceremony.
Jenoptik is closely linked to the competition. Since 1991, Jenoptik has been supporting the Thuringian state finals “Jugend forscht” as well as the state competition “Schüler experimentieren”, which was integrated in 2012. Since 2005, the STIFT has been supporting “Jugend forscht” at the level of regional competitions. It also supports children and young people on their way to research with coaching offers across all levels of competition. Since 2018, STIFT and Jenoptik have been joint state sponsors for the Thuringia state competition.
Dr. Sven Günther, CEO of STIFT, is impressed by this year’s projects: “With the state competition Jugend forscht Thüringen, we offer young female researchers recognition, support and networks to strengthen their interests and talents, implement their great ideas and thus expand their passion for research and technology. This means that these young people not only stand for future careers in STEM professions, research or even start-ups, but also for a well-founded approach to the current and future challenges of our society.”
Adrian König, who represented Jenoptik at the state competition for the first time, also drew a positive conclusion: “Jugend forscht is not only a competition, but also a great platform for the young researchers who work here with a lot of passion and creativity on current issues and problems of our society. They are the future specialists that a technology company like Jenoptik needs. Not least for this reason, I am very pleased that we can strengthen the students in their STEM talents with our long-standing commitment as a state sponsor company.”
Photos: Scheere