Applicants Can Now Submit Entries for the 2022 Breakthrough Junior Challenge
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge invites applicants to submit an original video they create themselves. Not to exceed 90 seconds, the video should focus on creative thinking theories and/or concepts in physics, mathematics, or life science.
Founded by Yuri and Julia Milner, the global competition is aimed at students aged 13 to 18.
Overview of the Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Each submission is judged on how well the student was able to communicate complex scientific ideas. The focus is on doing so in ways that are illuminating, imaginative, and engaging. Designed to inspire the world’s next generation of scientists, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge also celebrates the best in scientific work.
Its unique approach is laid out in a methodical way that engages applicants on multiple levels. After the website opens for submissions on April 1, applicants must submit their video and application by 11:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time on June 25, 2022.
A key element of the entrance process is peer-to-peer review. Each applicant must score no fewer than five other submissions between June 27 and July 10, 2022.
One week of administrative review, spanning July 10 through July 17, 2022, follows. From July 18 through August 13, 2022, the Evaluation Panel will use the criteria established by the Breakthrough Junior Challenge rules to judge and score the top 75 submissions.
Staff with the Breakthrough Junior Challenge will use the period from August 14 through September 4, 2022, to review and verify up to 30 of the submissions selected by the Evaluation Panel. The Popular Vote Challenge runs from September 5 through September 20, 2022. This provides an opportunity for participants to vote for their favorite video.
A Popular Vote Top Scorer, as well as seven Regional Champions, will be named as a result. On September 21, 2022, they and the Finalists picked by the Evaluation Panel will be announced. Finally, the winner will be announced in November.
Breakthrough Junior Challenge Rules and Prizes
In addition to the stipulations outlined above, the following rules apply:
- Only one entry per applicant;
- Entries must comply with YouTube’s Community Guidelines;
- Enter by going to the Breakthrough Junior Challenge website, clicking “Enter,” and following the instructions on the screen;
- Read the complete rules for the competition before submitting an entry.
The creator of the winning video is awarded the following prize:
- $250,000 scholarship for their post-secondary education
- $50,000 prize for their teacher
- $100,000 Breakthrough Science Lab
Yuri Milner’s Vision Behind Founding the Challenge
The Breakthrough Prize Foundation, founded by Yuri Milner and his wife, Julia, organizes the Challenge each year. As part of their Giving Pledge, Yuri Milner and Julia focused on supporting science and communicating innovative scientific ideas.
Yuri Milner grew up surrounded by science. His father was an economics professor while his mother was a doctor. His childhood was filled with captivating conversations among the scientists who came to visit his parents.
He was inspired to become a theoretical physicist, pursuing a business degree at the Wharton School of Business and then starting a tech career. Remembering how his passion for science was fueled by his early exposure to scientific ideas, Yuri Milner and his wife, Julia, founded the Breakthrough Junior Challenge.
Highlighting Past Winner
Not surprisingly, winners have come from all over the globe. Last year’s winner was Amber Kwok, an 18-year-old who hails from Mauritius. Gornick Suwattanapon, a 17-year-old from Thailand, was declared the winner of the 2021 Space Exploration category.
