2 March 2026
Creativity, curiosity, and a passion for scientific research were the focus of the 26th regional heat of the "Jugend forscht" and "Jugend forscht junior" competitions, which took place on Friday, 27 February at Forschungszentrum Jülich. On the day, 87 children and young people from Jülich, the Aachen region, Düren, and the surrounding areas presented their projects and impressed the jury with their original ideas, meticulous experiments, and genuine enthusiasm for research.
The talented students from both primary and secondary schools presented a total of 49 projects - some as individual projects and some in teams. The projects covered a wide range of topics from biology, chemistry, earth and space science, mathematics/ computer science, physics, technology, and the working world.
First prizes in "Jugend forscht junior"
One of two first prizes in the biology category within the "Jugend forscht junior" competition went to Paul Wolny (aged 12) and Anna Wolny (aged 10) from the Bischöfliche Liebfrauenschule school in Eschweiler for their project on biodegradable golf balls. The pair investigated whether it is possible to manufacture golf balls that decompose in nature and thus cause less pollution for waterways and green spaces. To this end, they developed their own material mixtures from biodegradable substances, tested their properties, and examined the degradability of the prototypes.
Nohan Elbers (aged 11) from the Gymnasium Haus Overbach secondary school in Jülich was also awarded first prize in the biology category for his project on cleaning agents for corroded metals from various fruit peels and seeds. He investigated whether aqueous extracts from the peels and seeds of various plants can remove or convert rust. In numerous series of experiments, he tested different seeds, nut shells, and spices and documented their effect on copper and iron.
Jannic Liehner (aged 13), also from the Bischöfliche Liebfrauenschule school in Eschweiler, impressed the jury in the physics category with his project investigating the thickness and tensile strength of horse tail hair. Using a clamping device he built himself, he systematically analysed the mechanical properties of the hair and compared numerous different samples with each other. The idea came to him while grooming his horse, when it swatted at a fly with its tail and hit him in the face.
Lukas Hertkens (12), Ben Strobel (13), and Theodor Schreven (13) from the Inda-Gymnasium Aachen school won first prize in the working world category for their project on algae. The trio have been working with algae as a sustainable raw material for some time now and have used it to develop a construction and insulation material, among other things. For their current project, they cultivated the algae themselves in a garden pond, optimized drying and stabilization methods, and tested the resistance of the materials - particularly with regard to fire protection.
First prize in "Jugend forscht"
In the "Jugend forscht" competition, first prize in the earth and space science category went to Zining Bai (aged 18) from the Städtisches Rurtal-Gymnasium school in Düren for his project on the moon tilt illusion, in which he investigated the inclination of the lunar terminator. Zining wanted to find a plausible explanation for why the dividing line between the light and dark sides of the moon - known as the terminator - appears to incline at different angles depending on the time of year and time of observation. Using geometric models, calculations, and his own observation data, he developed a clear explanation for this astronomical phenomenon. He found that not only does the Earth's rotation play a role, but so too does the combination of the moon phase and the season.
All those awarded first prize have now qualified for the state-level competitions for North Rhine-Westphalia in spring 2026.
Special prize for bioeconomy
The special prize for bioeconomy went to Sophia Rieger (aged 15) from the Carolus-Magnus-Gymnasium school in Übach-Palenberg for her project on natural hair washing, in which she developed two ecological shampoos. Sophia developed two shampoos based on natural raw materials such as ivy and chestnut, which contain saponins , or natural soap substances. She examined both the cleaning effect under the microscope and the environmental compatibility of her products, and demonstrated that her plant-based shampoos can provide a sustainable alternative to conventional products.
The special prize is awarded by the structural change initiative BioeconomyREVIER, which is coordinated by Forschungszentrum Jülich and aims to strengthen the Rhenish mining area as a model region for a sustainable bioeconomy.
JuLab prize for special commitment
The JuLab prize, sponsored by Forschungszentrum Jülich's JuLab Schools Laboratory, was awarded to a project focusing on how to make intersections in front of school gates safer. Katharina Erben (9) and Caroline Schiffer (8) from the Gemeinschaftsgrundschule Jülich-West primary school systematically investigated the traffic situation in front of their school. They counted vehicles, documented dangerous situations, and developed concrete proposals for improving safety. The prize includes a joint experiment day at JuLab for their entire class.
In the video (in German), several young researchers present their projects:
Video: A selection of projects from this year's regional competition organised by Jugend forscht.
Additional prizes awarded in "Jugend forscht junior" (JR) and "Jugend forscht" (JF)
Working world
2nd place
- JR: Samuel Sauermann (11) from the Anne-Frank-Gymnasium school, Aachen (microplastics at school)
- JR: Katharina Erben (9) and Caroline Schiffer (8) from the Gemeinschaftsgrundschule Jülich-West primary school (danger in front of the school - how can the intersection in front of our school gate be made safer?)
3rd place
- JR: Justus Dickmeis (10) and Mats Kiesow (10) from the Bischöfliche Liebfrauenschule school, Eschweiler (the knife makes all the difference: how to put less jam in the dishwasher)
Biology
2nd place
- JF: Sophie Pfeifer (15) from the Couven Gymnasium school, Aachen (from plastic-eating fungi to a self-emptying rubbish bin)
- JR: Til Weißborn (13) and Max Weißborn (11) from the Bischöfliche Liebfrauenschule school, Eschweiler (filter on, clean air)
- JR: Eva Lentz (11), Max Claessen (11), and Leonie Mertens (11) from the Städtische Oberstadt school, Eupen (planting greenery on an exterior façade)
- JR: Maria Christina Luzie Weinand (11) from the Städtisches Gymnasium school, Herzogenrath (amphibian rescue from the school's basement shafts using exit ramps)
3rd place
- JR: Roberto Biermann (10) and Felix Johannes Jax (10) from the Bischöfliches Pius-Gymnasium school, Aachen (small composter for home use)
- JR: Xuerui Huang (13) from the Bischöfliches Pius-Gymnasium school, Aachen (fruit under the microscope: making DNA visible)
- JR: Charlie Eilmann (10), Jan Achenbach (10), and Rayan Jansen (9) from the KGS Bischofstraße school, Stolberg (mould alarm - which bread packaging makes bread last longer?)
- JR: Laura Cremer (12) from the Bischöfliche Liebfrauenschule school, Eschweiler (perishability of food and extending shelf life using the example of a cucumber)
- JR: Kilian Erichs (9) and Benno Friedhoff (10) from the Grundschulverbund Höhengebiet Bad Münstereifel school (comparison of mixed forest and monoculture forest)
Chemistry
2nd place
- JR: Sophia Rieger (15) from the Carolus-Magnus-Gymnasium school, Übach-Palenberg (wash your hair naturally - development of two ecological shampoos)
3rd place
- JR: Anna-Lena Schneider (10) and Robert Bulla (9) from the Grundschulverbund Höhengebiet Bad Münstereifel school (vanilla-scented solid shower soap)
- JR: Anna Engels (12) and Lusamba Tubadi Geraldine Nkelani (13) from the Silverberg-Gymnasium school, Bedburg (viscosity of olive oil creams)
- JF: Charlene Tsao (17) from the Städtisches Einhard-Gymnasium school, Aachen (can you generate electrical energy with fluorescence?)
Earth and space science
2nd place
- JR: Koray Elyakan (13) from the Ritzefeld-Gymnasium school, Stolberg (the invisible trace of gravity)
3rd place
- JR: Jakob Djurkovic (10) and Ansgar Mittermayer (9) from the Domsingschule school, Aachen (What does Aachen Cathedral sound like? Acoustic research in one of the first World Heritage Sites)
Mathematics/computer science
3rd place
- JR: Rose Ansari (10) from the Domsingschule school, Aachen (travelling salesman problem (TSP))
- JF: Jan Hompesch (16), David Birkelbach (15), and Maximilian Balsam (16) from the Inda-Gymnasium Aachen school ("FEST")
Physics
2nd place
- JR: Jonas Houben (11) and Bendic Meurer (11) from the Gymnasium Haus Overbach school, Jülich (pond water purification in Overbach)
- JR: Tilda Dossing (9) and Carlotta Heiliger (9) from the Domsingschule school, Aachen (the magic of thermal ink)
- JR: Gauransh Bansal (9) from the Domsingschule school, Aachen (magnetic levitation (Maglev): how can a train levitate without touching the tracks?)
3rd place
- JF: Carlo Duisberg (16) and Kai Werner (16) from the Inda-Gymnasium Aachen school ("GaiaHeat")
Technology
2nd place
- JR: Carla Kral (10) and Emil Drews (9) from the Schule am Fischmarkt school, Aachen (faster bridge building)
- JF: Merve Yilmaz (16) from the Kreisgymnasium school, Heinsberg (heart under pressure: measurement of heart signals using a self-built ECG measuring device)
- JF: Julian Hertkens (16), Jonas Johannsen (16), and Mauro Dautzenberg (16) from the Inda-Gymnasium Aachen school ("Light or Fight")
- JF: Ananya Talreja (18) from the Albert Einstein Gymnasium school ("AETHER": Air Enhancement Through Holistic Environmental Redesign)
3rd place
- JR: Aristide Beicos (11) and Philip Dogsa (12) from the Kreisgymnasium school, Heinsberg (solar hoodie)
- JR: Liam Reiswich (11) and Timo Weier (10) from the Grundschulverbund Höhengebiet Bad Münstereifel school (cardboard fan)
- JF: Christian Schiffler (15) and Alexander Ansorge (15) from the Inda-Gymnasium Aachen school (modular irrigation system)
Organization
Vera Heunemann
Leiterin Veranstaltung und Marketing
Anke Lehnen
Projektleitung zentrale Veranstaltungen
