DSTV Eutelsat Star Awards for African Students

DSTV Eutelsat Star Awards - Creating Space for African Ideas

Course(s) Offered: Science, Technology, Innovative thinking
Course Level: Secondary school, High school
Provider: MultiChoice Africa, Eutelsat
Country to Study in: Africa

Scholarship Description

If you dream of seeing a rocket launch, here’s the chance to make your dreams come true! Enter the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards 2013 and you could win some fantastic prizes. The DStv Eutelsat Star Awards, the product of a partnership between Eutelsat and MultiChoice Africa, aim to stimulate interest in science and technology and to inspire innovative thinking among secondary and high school students across the continent.

The awards take the form of a competition open to 14-19 year-old students in 42 countries. Students are invited to write an essay or design a poster depicting how innovative use of satellite technology in the fields of communication, earth observation or navigation can propel Africa into the future.

In addition to amazing prizes up for grabs in the individual country awards, overall winners will be rewarded with the trip of a lifetime: the overall essay winner will win a trip with their parent/legal guardian to Eutelsat in Paris, France followed by a visit to a spaceport to attend a live rocket launch; AND the overall poster winner will win a trip with their parent/legal guardian to Eutelsat in Paris followed by a visit to a satellite construction site. The runners up of the poster and essay entries will win a trip with their parent/legal guardian to visit MultiChoice in Johannesburg followed by a visit of the South African National Space Agency at Hartebeesthoek.

The second edition of the awards was staged in 2012 and saw an overwhelming response of over 1300 entries from across the African continent.

Eligibility

To enter, students need to be between 14 and 19 years of age and enrolled at a registered secondary, combined or high school (public or private). Only entries prepared by an individual will be accepted.

Entry forms and essays/posters must be submitted before the closing date and time. It is the responsibility of the entrants to ensure that entries reach designated collection points prior to the closure of the competition. Any entries not received prior to the closure of the competition will not be eligible to participate, regardless of the reason for the late entry. MultiChoice and Eutelsat are not responsible for any entries which are not received, whether timeously or at all, regardless of the cause thereof. Without limitation, MultiChoice and Eutelsat are not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer on-line systems, servers, or providers, computer hardware or software failure or malfunction, postal systems, traffic congestion (whether physical, postal or on the Internet, telephone lines or at any service provider, web site or other device or medium), or any combination thereof, or any other technical or other problems.

Only one entry, i.e. either poster or essay, may be submitted per student on the specified topic.

Entries can be prepared in English, French or Portuguese

Entries must be the own original work of the student. No previously published material will be accepted.

Only entries in the correct and specified formats will be eligible.

Plagiarism is forbidden. Entrants may quote short passages, but material copied from a source must be surrounded in double quotes (") and the source indicated. Copied materials should rarely be more than a few lines, and never as long as a paragraph. Quoting long passages is forbidden. Entries caught plagiarizing will be rejected.

All entries must include a full bibliography of sources for the essay. The bibliography should be excluded from the essay word count. The bibliography should be the last page of the essay. In the case of poster entries, the entry form, as well as a creative explanation/summary (inclusive of any sources consulted) must be attached to the poster.

Please visit the official website (link to it is below) for a detailed listing of Terms and Conditions of this Award.

JUDGING CRITERIA:

The Multichoice/Eutelsat panel of judges are looking for innovative thinking and ideas. Please see official website via link below for full details on these criteria.

Eligible groups

Citizens of any African country

Participating Institutions

All registered secondary, combined or high schools (public or private) in Africa

Fields of study

Science, Technology and Innovative thinking: fields of communication, earth observation or navigation

Number of awards

Several awards will be given (to winners, runners-up and their schools at both national and overall levels)

Sponsorship duration

This is a onetime prize award and sponsored travels

Scholarship benefits

Top entrants at the national level win prizes such as computers or tablets, and go forward to compete in the overall awards for the winning and runner up essay and poster prizes. The winning essay entrant wins a trip with a parent or guardian to Eutelsat in Paris and onwards to witness a live rocket launch. The best poster winner and their parent or guardian also win a trip to Eutelsat, including a visit to a satellite manufacturing facility. The runners-up in the overall awards win a trip for two to visit the MultiChoice Africa broadcast facilities and the South African Space Agency near Johannesburg, South Africa.

The schools attended by the overall award winners and runners-up are rewarded with a DStv installation, including dish, television, state-of-the-art PVR decoder and free access to the DStv Education Bouquet.

Please visit the official website (link to it is below) for a detailed listing of Award Prizes AND Categories of Prizes to be won at national and continental levels for both winning students and their schools.

Any costs or expenses which the entrant incurs other than in respect of those items specifically included in a prize are for the entrant’s own account. It is assumed that entrants will have sufficient funds available for all costs and expenses which they may incur during and for purposes of entry into the competition.

Method of Application

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

For an entry form – which will tell you everything you need to know – visit your nearest MultiChoice Office or download it from the official website (link to it is below). South African entrants can collect a copy from MultiChoice Africa, 141 Bram Fischer Drive in Randburg, Johannesburg.

TOPIC

Imagine you were allowed to use all the satellites in space. What would you do with them to benefit your community, your country or your continent? Write an essay or design a poster elaborating on three priorities.

Students are encouraged to consult with their science or technology teacher to increase the quality of their entries.

Essays and posters can be written in English, Portuguese or French

You may download the entry form here(pdf).

ESSAY REQUIREMENTS

1.     1200 to 1400 words (excluding bibliography)
2.     Typed in Arial 12, 1.5 spacing or must be hand written, but clearly legible
3.     Pages to be numbered
4.     Only hard copy entries will be accepted
5.     Entries may include illustrations, graphics or diagrams
6.     References (all sources consulted during the preparation of the entry)

POSTER REQUIREMENTS

1.     No bigger than A3 (42 x 29.7cm)
2.     Only hard copy entries will be accepted
3.     All poster entries must be accompanied by a typed or legible hand written summary containing the following headings:
4.         Title
5.         Summary of idea/concept
6.         References (all sources consulted during the preparation of the entry

SUBMISSION OF ENTRIES
Entries must be:

1.     Deposited: in the entry box at MultiChoice Africa country or regional offices (African countries)
2.     OR for South Africa at the MultiChoice Africa Building, 141 Bram Fischer Drive in Ranburg, Johannesburg (South Africa only).
3.     Posted: To MultiChoice offices listed on the entry form. For South African entries only: To MultiChoice Africa, Corporate Affairs, 141 Bram Fischer Drive, Randburg. Attention: Nada Mxube

NO LATE ENTRIES WILL BE CONSIDERED

DEADLINES:
Entries must reach Multichoice Africa on or before close of business on 19 September 2013 - so start dreaming!

PLEASE NOTE:
All entries must be accompanied by an entry form and in the case of posters an entry form and creative summary.

Entries will be accepted in hard copy format only. Entries from previous country or overall award winners will not be accepted. Entry forms must be fully completely. Entries accompanied by incomplete entry forms may not be accepted. Only entries with attached entry forms will be accepted.

It is the responsibility of the entrant to ensure that forms and in the case of posters, creative rationales/summaries, are attached in such a way that they do not become separated from the entry submission. In cases where entries and attachments become separated, such entries may be disqualified. All poster entries have to be accompanied by a creative explanation/summary as specified in the criteria for posters section above.

Entries cannot be returned to participants. All the submitted essays and posters will be the property of the organisers. The organisers reserve the right to modify the format and content of any submitted essay or poster before publication. Also note that the organisers have the sole right to publish the submissions in any media.

For queries you may email your question to: dstvstarawards@multichoice.co.za or phone your nearest MultiChoice Office. In the case of South Africa, please contact Mahlatse Sithole on 011 781 9950

Application Deadline: 19 September 2013
Open to International students: No (ONLY Africans)

http://www.dstvstarawards.com/