Questions?
What is the Dopper Changemaker Challenge Junior about? Who is Stinky? We can imagine you have a few questions. That’s why we wrote a few frequently asked questions down. Including their answers. If your question isn’t here, you can always contact us!
Why and Who?
1. What is the Dopper Changemaker Challenge Junior?
We are challenging children (ages 8 - 12) to come up with solutions that change people’s behaviour when it comes to single-use plastics. You can take part with your entire class, or on your own. We put together a toolkit that will guide you through the Dopper Changemaker Challenge Junior, from a worksheet to help you find a solution to instructions on how to build a prototype. Everything you’d need to get to that planet-saving solution!
2. Who’s behind this competition?
A company called Dopper. Dopper is fighting plastic pollution one single-use water bottle at a time. By selling reusable water bottles, but also by raising awareness about plastic pollution and by stimulating education and research. That’s also why Dopper started the Dopper Changemaker Challenge Junior. Together with the storybook characters Stella, Simon and their talking skunk called Stinky, the CMCJ will hopefully help a lot of kids come up with solutions to the plastic problem.
3. Who are Stella, Simon and Stinky?
Stella and Stinky are the main characters in the book “Stella and Stinky and the plastic soup”, written by Christine Algera. Stella is a girl and Stinky is a talking skunk. Together, they travel the world to find a way to rewrite the plastic story. While travelling, they meet Simon, who will help them find a solution for the plastic problem.
For children
Signing up
4. How can I enter the Dopper Changemaker Challenge Junior?
Easy! Sign up here.
5. How many children can be in one group?
You can either sign up alone or in groups of two to three. All participating children should be between 8 to 12 years old.
6. Can I join by myself?
Yes! We need the help of every single kid to beat the plastic issue.
7. Why do I need permission from my parents/carer's to join?
In short: it’s the law. But if you need more information on this and other rules that apply to this challenge, read the Terms & Conditions.
8. How can my teacher sign up our class for this challenge?
Entering this competition is only a few clicks away! Just ask your teacher to go to this page.
9. Are there any rules I need to be aware of?
We’ve written down all terms and conditions that relate to the Dopper Changemaker Challenge Junior, using child-friendly language. So, if you want to know more, read the small print here.
For Teachers
Signing up
10. How can I enter the Dopper Changemaker Challenge Junior?
To sign up your entire class, go to the ‘For teachers’ page and follow the instructions.
11. How many children can be in one group?
Ranging from 1 to 3 students.
12. How can I upload my pupils ideas?
At the end of this challenge, everyone in your class will have come up with one solution. Luckily, you don’t have to fill out a separate form for every solution. You can upload all your class’s designs in bulk on this page.
13. Is there a maximum number of pupils I can sign up with?
No. As long as this website doesn’t crash, you can sign up with as many children as you’d like.
14. I have children younger/older than 8-12 years old, can they join?
The education materials are especially designed for this age group, so technically ‘no’. But if you have a classroom filled with 12 year olds, and one or two just turned 13, it would be a shame to leave them out.
For Teachers
Education method
15. Are there any costs involved in joining this challenge?
No! This challenge - including all education materials - is completely free of charge.
16. What education method is used in this challenge?
This challenge is based on the Designathon method. Designathon Works is spreading a unique educational method, which is a modular supplement to regular educational curricula and can be offered as a standalone after-school program or interwoven with national curricula. This program offers children the chance to tackle relevant world issues in teams. Through this, they develop their creativity, readiness to deal with complex futures and embrace a changemaker attitude.
The method we use was designed and tested with a huge diversity of children over a two year period and forms a unique combination of child-led design thinking and maker education with the Sustainable Development Goals as the core subject matter.
In the case of the Dopper Change Maker Challenge Junior, children will learn more about plastic pollution, gain 21st century skills to come up with new solutions where technology is included, and feel empowered to take action.
17. How much time will this challenge take?
When you’ve read through the toolkit - which takes about 10 minutes - you are fully prepared. Schedule about 2 hours to get from skratch to sketch, and if you would like your children to build their solutions into prototypes, add another 2 hours.
Locations
18. Where does the Dopper Changemaker Challenge Junior take place?
In Belgium, Germany, Nepal, the Netherlands and in the UK.
19. Can I join if I don’t live in Belgium, German, Nepal, the Netherlands or in the UK?
Unfortunately, no. However, you can do something! You can give an awesome lecture about plastic pollution or ask your teacher to inspire your entire class about this topic!
Deadlines
20. What’s the deadline for uploading the solutions?
The upload deadline was on the tenth of October 2020. There is no competition element taking place at the moment.
Contact
21. Who do I contact when I have a question?
The Dopper crew and Stella, Simon or Stinky are always happy to help. You can find our contact information here.
Prizes
22. What are the prizes?
If you win, Stella, Simon and Stinky will help you kick-start your solution!
- You get to pitch your idea to some pretty influential people who can make it come true!
- Your story will get some serious (social) media coverage. For a start, we will make a video, which you can share with anyone you want. And we are sharing it too to get even more people to change their behaviour!
- You will become one of the main characters in the book ‘Stella and Stinky rewrite the plastic story’, and your idea will be the solution that saves the day! Pretty cool.
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