Student Competition - Message from the Future

Almost everyone agrees: we need to emit less CO2 to prevent catestrophic climate change from happening. But apart from that fact, we have very little idea of what we do want in the future. How will we live and move? How will we consume? Will we greet our neighbours? The next decades will mark the beginning of the post-fossil era. Our lives will change drastically, but what these changes entail exactly? It remains hard to imagine. 

For this reason, the Koninklijk Nederlands Aardrijkskunde Genootschap (KNAG), UFS, The Cloud Collective and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment organized a competition for high school students. Their task: to imagine life in the neighbourhood of the future. The best imaginations are featured at Places of Hope. 

Geo future school module
We asked second and third grade geography teachers to mobilize their students to compete over this imagination of the future. A module was developed for teachers to apply directly to their curriculum. Maarten Hajer, UFS director, recorded a special lecture for the contestants, who on February 1st handed in their models. A jury consisting of Joop van der Schee and Anne de Klerk (KNAG), Robbin Knuivers (Ruimtevolk), Hanna Lára Pálsdóttir (ministry of BZK) en Jesse Hoffman (UFS) choose 6 final teams. They took part in a workshop by Bright/The Cloud Collective on February 13th, and finalized their scale models to be shown during Places of Hope.

Photos by KNAG, find more here.

Winning team
The six teams finalist teams are from Drachtster Lyceum in Drachten, Twents Carmel College in Oldenzaal, Wartburg College locatie Guido de Brès in Rotterdam, Willem de Zwijgercollege in Bussum, Sondervick College in Veldhoven and Lyceum Sancta Maria from Haarlem. On April 4, the winner of the contest was announced during the opening ceremony: Sondervinck College won the prize!