School Prize of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation

Challenges, opportunities and developments: the media concept in times of the pandemic

About the School Prize
Former Prize Winners
Registration
FAQ

Digital media are playing an increasingly important role in our lives. This makes it crucial that schools advance in this field. With our School Prize competition, we seek to inspire both teachers and pupils to think about how digital media and digital possibilities can be used productively in the learning process.

Silke Lohmiller, Managing Director Dieter Schwarz Foundation

I am glad that we can support the schools with the prize money in accompanying their pupils on the way to a well-reflected use of digital media.

Tatjana Linke, Managing Director aim

MOTIVATION

Schools of all types are invited to submit a description of a school media concept. We support and promote the critical, active use of media by students and teachers.

BACKGROUND

Since 2011, the Dieter Schwarz Foundation has been offering a school prize for the best media concept in cooperation with the Akademie für Innovative Bildung und Management (aim). Schools providing a concept for the use of digital media in educational contexts are honoured with prizes of a total value of 100,000 euros. The main focus of these concepts should be to support pupils as active and critical participants in a digital media society. With this award, the Dieter Schwarz Foundation seeks to encourage schools in their plans and initiatives. The award-winning media concepts are distinguished by the fact that they have a lasting impact on specialised teaching and advance the schools in the field of digitisation in the long run.

The prize is awarded every two years in the assembly hall (Aula) at the Bildungscampus of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation. Schools of all types and class levels may participate in the competition.

Apply now for the School Prize of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation with your media concept!

SELECTION CRITERIA

In the selection of the best concepts, what matters is the productive and cooperative use of media with an activating effect on the pupils as well as the sustainability of the project. School-integrated/teaching-integrated media use, which is to follow the guiding perspectives of the curriculum, is also important.

For the School Prize 2022, we are placing particular focus on the challenges of the corona lockdown. The theme of the current school prize competition is "Challenges, opportunities and developments: the media concept in times of pandemic".

Here you will find all selection criteria in German at a glance!

Here you will find the presentation of jury member Prof. Raith about the evaluation criteria in German.

Description of the challenges of the Covid-19 lockdown

How did the existing media concept contribute to dealing with the new forms of teaching?
What adjustments were made or are being made to the concept?
What challenges did the students and teachers face and how were they dealt with?

What happens after the competition

The winners become part of a school network.

The school representatives will be invited to events, such as the award ceremonies for the following years. And will receive one free training session per year for the teaching staff from aim.

The winners agree to the (approved) publication of the concept.

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Jury

The jury is composed of a four-member team of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, the aim, the experimenta and Freiburg University of Education. The jury members combine the skills and expertise that are important for the use of digital media in class.

Silke Lohmiller

Managing Director Dieter Schwarz Foundation

Tatjana Linke

Managing Director aim

Dr. habil. Wolfgang Hansch

Managing Director experimenta

Prof. Dr. Thomas Raith

Professor at Freiburg
University of Education

Michael Zieher

Director of the State Media Center
Baden-Württemberg

PRIZE MONEY

Schools are honoured with prizes of a total value of more than 100,000 euros, awarded among five prize-winning schools as follows:

1ST PLACE WITH
30.000 EURO

2ND PLACE WITH
25.000 EURO

1ST PLACE WITH
30.000 EURO

3RD PLACE WITH
20.000 EURO

4TH PLACE WITH
15.000 EURO

5TH PLACE WITH
10.000 EURO

2ND PLACE WITH
25.000 EURO

3RD PLACE WITH
20.000 EURO

4TH PLACE WITH
15.000 EURO

5TH PLACE WITH
10.000 EURO

In addition to the five grand prize winners, the Dieter Schwarz Foundation awards honorary prizes, each worth 2,000 euros in prize money.

2020

Stemweder – Berg Schule from North Rhine-Westphalia

The last award-winning school convinced the jury with its particularly well thought-out and consistent school and teaching concept, which is exactly reflected in the media concept.

The basis for this is the implementation of a comprehensive teaching/educational concept developed by the teachers, which is accompanied by short training sessions at the same time. In particular, these are offered upon the teachers’ request and on current topics. The concept places a special focus on the pupils’ concerns. From year 7, all young people receive an iPad, which they can use until the end of their school career. The focus is on independence, collaboration and creativity in learning.

However, what is special about this school is the fact that the educational teaching concepts not only impact the media concept but that the experience in implementing the media concept also has positive effects on the school and teaching concepts.

Digitisation has therefore provided the school with new ideas on what quality teaching can look like.

Oskar-Maria-Graf-Gymnasium from Neufahrn at Freising in Bavaria

The next prize-winning school has gained a simple yet fundamental insight: Sustainable change towards the reasonable use of digital media should not only be regulated but requires a development process that takes into account the specific requirements of both teachers and pupils.

The school now has both an elaborate media curriculum and a comprehensive, differentiated teacher-training concept based on voluntary participation (!). The next step is that pupils of senior classes may use their own devices in class.

This school has already been designated a smart school and is mentioned as an example of good practice in a publication of the Forum Bildung Digitalisierung (“forum education digitisation”), a cooperation of numerous large foundations that has set itself the objective of supporting digital education.

Kurpfalzschule in Heidelberg

Making pupils familiar with media from the beginning of their school career, thereby turning them into active citizens in the digital world–the jury was very much convinced by this idea.

In only two and a half years, a primary school has developed and implemented its programme on IT and media education. Initial stocktaking was followed by conceptual considerations on how adequate basic media-related and digital education can be communicated to the pupils. The theoretical preliminary considerations were quickly followed by practical steps that also involved the parents.

From year one, iPads are used in smaller projects, while the focus is also on the responsible use of media. Programming with LEGO WeDo, a media pass, the use of search engines for children and book presentations with the Book Creator app are just a few examples.

The jury was particularly impressed by the fact that the guidelines on the media concept are regularly questioned, evaluated and, if necessary, supplemented and that media education considerations are a key element.

Gemeinschaftsschule Neumünster-Brachenfeld in Schleswig-Holstein

The jury awards the 3rd prize, worth 20,000 euros in prize money, to a school that has set itself the objective of giving all children equal opportunities, regardless of their social background, also with regard to their digital education and accompanying and supporting them on their journey. Inclusion with the special educational needs learning, social and emotional development, autism and hearing is an integral part at this school.

All people involved in school life consider themselves a learning organisation that continuously develops and evaluates media-related education.

The application of this school has described the digital development since 2015 in a very realistic way. In addition to the establishment of a media group, which got the subject of digital learning off the ground, and consistent low-threshold teacher training initiatives in short units, the jury was particularly impressed by the idea of a special and convincing peer-to-peer approach resulting in exemplary pupil participation. The sustainable handling of technical devices has also been highly convincing.

Honorary prize winners

Among this year’s applications for the School Prize of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, there were three submissions that do not rank among the five award-winning schools; however, their ideas and concept descriptions still merit recognition.
The jury thus decided to award honorary prizes worth 2,000 euros each to three schools this year.

Adalbert-Stifter-Realschule in Schwäbisch Gmünd

Erich Gutenberg Berufskolleg in Köln

Theodor Heuss Gymnasium Göttingen

Cooperation between the Waldbachschule and Grundschule Mossautal from Bad König/Mossautal in Hesse

The 4th prize is awarded for a striking example of sustainable and long-term cooperation that has already manifested itself for 15 years in the area of digital and media-related education but has also been very successful in taking into account other areas such as general school development.

The concept defines 6 content areas, comprising the entire spectrum of IT and media skills from operating and applying to communication and cooperation to modelling and problem-solving.

The intensive work has also resulted in a convincing media curriculum. It is composed of regular surveys on media use by the children, numerous working groups, for example in the fields of apps, internet and film, which are partly mandatory, annual education days and teacher training initiatives as well as a media-teaching approach that activates the pupils.

For the partner school in Uganda we donate an additional 500 €.

Josef-Durler-Schule in Rastatt, in Baden-Württemberg

As a result of the numerous high-quality applications, the jury decided to award the 5th price a second time:

The teaching staff of the second prize-winning school has set itself a clear objective. Its motto is: individual learning that is fun.

The school already has plenty of experience with the use of tablets, and now it aims to develop new room concepts for new forms of learning.

Together with the school authority and parents, the teachers and pupils want to design and build their own furniture for the learning spaces, thereby also considering the schoolyards to be expanded learning spaces. This is to enable various forms both of individual and collaborative work, because space predestines thinking.

The development of interdisciplinary competency grids and the expansion of the already established subject “computer technology” are further examples of the school’s consistent commitment to digital education.

Grundschule Widdern and SBBZ Feinau-Schule Widdern in Baden-Württemberg

The jury awarded the 5th prize for a competition entry that focuses on cooperation. This cooperation is carried out at multiple levels:

Not only does school management closely cooperate with the teaching staff and pupils: In this case, two schools of different types have banded together to provide all children with the best conditions through the transfer of digital basic education.

Like at many other schools, it has not been an easy start. Teachers interested in media considered their skills to be insufficient, and the majority had not yet been convinced of the effectiveness of the use of digital media.

Finally, the school had a successful start with media-related basic education using iPads and completed teaching units.

In the meantime, a school project for pupils has been initiated that can be included in all subjects of everyday teaching. In this project, the children can deal with their place of origin in many ways and compile information online.

2018

Ludwig-Frank-Gymnasium mannheim,
Title: „Difital Education LFG“

The first prize, worth 30,000 euros in prize money, was awarded to Ludwig-Frank-Gymnasium, which has developed a particularly future-oriented and sustainable concept. It forms the basis of a wide range of projects, some of which are realised in individual school classes of different levels and some of which are offered as working groups across classes. All these options integrate IT skills and media literacy as laid down in the curriculum as an interdisciplinary overall competence. The possibilities of digital media are used in many ways and with very constructive results.
In particular, the jury welcomes the fact that the underlying concept has been developed by a working group from among the teaching staff of the school, which resulted in an interdisciplinary school curriculum.

Johannes-Brenz-Schule Stuttgart,
Title: „Mobile learning with iPads in an inclusive primary setting“

The second prize, worth 25,000 euros in prize money, was awarded to a primary school that uses digital media to implement inclusive education successfully and enable handicapped children to participate in regular school lessons. The entire teaching staff of the school helped develop a highly detailed media curriculum and a development plan for the purchase and use of digital media. Planning is guided by the conditions of real school lessons, which are mainly realised in an open-learning environment and take into account the heterogeneity among pupils. During independent study periods, the children learn in different places and settings. A flexible technical solution makes it possible under the heading of “Mobile Learning with iPads”.

Schule im Taubertal,
Title: „encounters in the animated film workshop“

The third prize, worth 20,000 euros in prize money, was awarded to a special school, which educates children with and without handicaps under one roof. What makes the project “Encounters in the Animated Film Workshop” special is the fact that pupils with special educational needs learn how animated films are produced and can act as skilled experts themselves. In cooperative classes, they share their knowledge with pupils without special educational needs, whereupon all children produce animated films together.
The jury acknowledges the media-teaching approach, which not only has an activating effect on the pupils, but also achieves that children living with handicaps can experience themselves as competent.

Hardbergschule mosbach,
Title: „Contemporary meda education with iPads“

Due to the outstanding submissions, the fourth place, worth 15,000 euros in prize money, was awarded twice this year. The first of these prizes went to a special school with 110 pupils, which generates great interest with innovative projects (e.g. with the pupils’ company “Neonboards”) quite frequently.
Hardbergschule convinced the jury with the fact that it uses digital media in many, always cooperative, ways, which means that it implements a media-teaching approach that motivates and activates its pupils. In addition to the collaboration with different partners, it was the sustainability of the project that convinced the jury.

Kaufmännische Schule Hechingen,
Title: „Christm@s 4.0 - cultural heritage in the digital age“

The second fourth-prize winner, which also received 15,000 euros in prize money, clearly defined the project objectives in its application, emphasising the reinforcement of the pupils’ community of its school as the most important goal. The school’s media concept consists of a variety of subprojects for all types of school, classes and disciplines, which combine subject-related learning and the acquisition of IT skills and media literacy. All these projects have a productive and cooperative nature. With “Christmas 4.0”, a comprehensive topic, they picked a subject of interest for all pupils.

Place: Salomo Schule Rastatt,
Title: „Fit for Future“

The fifth place, worth 10,000 euros in prize money, was awarded to a Realschule (intermediate secondary school), which describes the importance of IT and media education as a key competency for the labour market.
The pupils play a particularly active role: They create a portfolio that documents their own development of these key competencies. This way, the young people reflect their learning progress, bringing together specialist and media projects.
In particular, the jury welcomes the teaching methodology to use media in a meaningful way, which is demonstrated in a large number of good didactic examples.

2017

Place: Ottmar-Mergenthaler-Realschule,
Title: „OMRS goes digital“

Place:Haus am Dornbuschweg (SBBZ-Special education centre),
Title „Participation in digital society“

Place: Grundschule Schnait,
Title: „Media cats– a way to digital literacy“

Place: Gustav-Werner-Schule Heilbronn (Vocational school),
Title: „Curriculum unit company sart-up. Teaching in a practical and media-oriented way“

Place: Zabergäu-Gymnasium Brackenheim,
Title: „Fake News“

Honorary Prize

Jerg Ratgeb Realschule Herrenberg,
Title: „Explain it to me“

Hardbergschule Mosbach (SBBZ),
Title: „Media education in a special education centre“

Mandelberg-Grundschule Wertheim-Dertingen
(Primary school)

Grundschule Langenbrettach (Primary school),
Title: „Digital local stories“

2014

2012

Kaywaldschule,
Lauffen (SBBZ)

Elly-Heuss-Knapp-Gymnasium,
Heilbronn

Schule für Gestaltung, Kolping-Bildungszentrum,
Heilbronn (Vocational college)

DIE SCHULE Schrozberg
(GWRS)

Lindenparkschule,
Heilbronn (SBBZ)

Georg-Kropp-Schule,
Wüstenrot (Comprehensive school)

Leintal-Werkrealschule,
Schwaigern (WRS= Technical intermediate secondary school)

Mörike-Realschule,
Heilbronn (intermediate secondary school)

Birkenbachschule,
Kirchardt (GWRS)

Freiherr-von-Zobel-Schule,
Großrinderfeld (Primary school)

2011

Pater-Alois-Grimm-Schule,
Kühlsheim (Comprehensive school)

Elly-Heuss-Knapp,
Heilbronn (GHWRS=Primary school and secondary general school with technical intermediate secondary school)

Kath. Freies Bildungszentrum St. Kilian,
Heilbronn

Hartmanni-Gymnasium,
Eppingen (GYM=Grammar school)

Albert-Schweitzer-Gymnasium,
Neckarsulm (GYM)

Johann-Dietz-Grundschule,
Ellhofen (Primary school)

Albert-Schweitzer-Schule,
Öhringen (SBBZ)

Impressions

Current School Prize Competition

The current school award with the topic "Challenges, opportunities and developments: the media concept in times of pandemic" will take place in spring 2022.

If you would like to take part in the Dieter Schwarz Foundation's school prize competition with your school, simply fill out the registration form below. You will then receive a confirmation and all further information by email from the Academy for Innovative Education and Management (aim). The deadline for submitting the concept ends on November 8, 2021. Registration for the school prize does not require participation in the competition.

Here you can download the official announcement for the school price 2022.

Process School Prize Competition

Registration

Register for the School Prize competition via the registration form.
Develop media concept

Develop your media concept over the year.
Meet deadline

8 November 2021

Submit the completed media concept and your application in a digital format to the aim by 8 November 2021 at the latest: schulpreis@aim-akademie.org.
First selection phase

28/29 January 2022

We will invite the schools with the 20 best projects for a pitch presentation.
Award ceremony

25 March 2022

The award ceremony of the School Prize will then take place in the last week of March 2022.

Registration school price COMPETITION

Application documents

The comprehensive media concept in PDF format as well as an exposé of the media concept (max. 2 pages) in PDF format.

Additional links may be included. Supplementary video or audio examples can be sent by download link.

It should be noted that all relevant information and documents must be included in the submitted PDFs. Additional information - for example in an e-mail - cannot be considered.

The documents can only be submitted by e-mail to schulpreis@aim-akademie.org. Submission via physical media (thumb drive, CD etc.) is not possible.

In this section, you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions:

Müssen die Konzepte bereits vollständig an der Schule umgesetzt sein?

Nein, die Konzeptelemente müssen noch nicht komplett umgesetzt sein. Jedoch sollten bereits erste Ansätze vorhanden sein und in Ihrer Bewerbung – neben der geplanten Konzeption – auch der Status quo sowie Ihre Erfahrungen dargestellt werden.

Können mehrere Bewerbungen pro Schule eingereicht werden?

Nein. Da es sich um Schulkonzepte handelt, ist nur eine Einreichung pro Schule möglich.

Ich bin Referendar. Kann ich ebenfalls teilnehmen?

Jede an einer Schule tätige (angehende) Lehrkraft kann eine Bewerbung einreichen. Beachten Sie jedoch, dass die Bewerbung im Namen der Schule, an der Sie tätig sind, gilt. Der etwaige Gewinn wird der Schule zugesprochen, nicht der einreichenden Lehrkraft.

Es wurde u.a. ein Musikvideo erstellt, die Rechte sind aber noch nicht geklärt. Was tun?

Die von Ihnen eingereichten Unterlagen bzw. digitalen Elemente werden nur intern gesichtet. Es findet keine Veröffentlichung statt. Daher können Sie auch solche Elemente einreichen. Wir bitten jedoch um einen entsprechenden Vermerk.

Wir sind in einem Schulverbund mit einer anderen Schule. Können wir ein gemeinsames Konzept einreichen?

Selbstverständlich können Sie ein gemeinsames Konzept einreichen. Bitte vermerken Sie auf der Bewerbung, das es sich um das Gemeinschaftskonzept mehrerer Schulen handelt.

Wer darf am Wettbewerb teilnehmen?

Schulen aller Schularten aus ganz Deutschland können sich für den Schulpreis der Dieter Schwarz Stiftung bewerben.

Verpflichtet eine Registrierung bzw. Anmeldung auf der Homepage zur Teilnahme?

Nein, über die Anmeldung werden Sie in einen Verteiler aufgenommen und erhalten fortlaufend Informationen über den Schulpreis. Eine Teilnahme erfolgt erst über die Einreichung Ihres Beitrags bis zum 04. November 2019.

Welches sind die Beurteilungskriterien der Jury?

Die Beurteilungskriterien der Jury finden Sie in der Handreichung unter diesem Link.

Wir haben ein tolles „Leuchtturmprojekt“, können wir es für den Schulpreis einreichen?

Der Schulpreis wird für ein umfassendes Medienkonzept der Schule vergeben, dass die gesamte Schulgemeinschaft miteinbezieht. Es zählt die Nachhaltigkeit eines Projektes und dessen Umsetzung in der Breite. Insofern Ihr Leuchtturmprojekt Teil eines solchen Konzeptes ist, freuen wir uns auf Ihre Einreichung.

Inwieweit soll das Projekt bereits angelaufen sein, da Fördermittel benötigt werden?

Der Schulpreis wird für ein Medienkonzept vergeben. Einzelne Projekte können beschrieben werden, und können auch schon angelaufen sein, sind aber nur ein Teil des Gesamten.

Einzelne Projekte können, müssen jedoch noch nicht umgesetzt sein. Bei Projektideen sollten bereits erste Ansätze vorhanden sein und in Ihrer Bewerbung – neben der geplanten Konzeption – auch der Status quo sowie Ihre Erfahrungen dargestellt werden. Sollte das Konzept bereits an Ihrer Schule etabliert sein, raten wir zu einer Darstellung der Erfahrungen und Weiterentwicklungen sowie zu einem Ausblick.

Wie ausführlich soll die Ausarbeitung des Konzepts sein? Wie umfangreich muss eine Bewerbung sein?

Hierzu gibt es keine Vorgaben. Wichtig ist, dass Sie das Medienkonzept anschaulich darstellen und auf alle drei Beurteilungsdimensionen eingehen. Beachten Sie aber bitte, dass Sie zusätzlich zu der Beschreibung Ihres Medienkonzeptes ein Exposé im Umfang von max. 2 Seiten – ebenfalls im PDF-Format – einreichen.

Wir haben Erklärvideos produziert. Können wir diese auch einreichen?

Gerne können Sie Links zu digitalen Produkten in Ihr PDF integrieren.

Wie sollte das Medienkonzept dargestellt werden?

Eine konkrete Vorgabe zur Darstellung oder Strukturierung gibt es nicht. Wichtig ist eine ganzheitliche Darstellung Ihres Konzeptes.

Wie und was reichen wir für unsere Bewerbung ein?

Bitte reichen Sie ihr umfassendes Medienkonzept sowie ein Exposé des Medienkonzepts (max. 2 Seiten) im PDF-Format ein. Weiterführende Links können enthalten sein, ergänzende Video- oder Audiobeispiele können per Download-Link zugeschickt werden. Bitte beachten Sie, dass ausschließlich die Informationen in den eingereichten PDFs berücksichtigt werden. Zusätzliche Informationen – beispielsweise in einer E-Mail – können nicht berücksichtigt werden. Die Einreichung von Datenträgern oder gedruckten Dokumenten ist nicht möglich.

Wird der technische von dem pädagogischen Aspekt unterschieden? Auf welchem Aspekt liegt der Schwerpunkt? Wird ein Teil mehr gewichtet?

Das didaktische Konzept, die Umsetzung in der Schule/im Unterricht und die Unterrichtspraxis stehen im Vordergrund. In einem zweiten Schritt wird die technische Ausstattung begutachtet.

Soll die Bewerbung digital oder ausgedruckt in Papierform eingereicht werden?

Bitte reichen Sie Ihre Bewerbung ausschließlich digital, als PDF ein.

Bis wann erfahren wir, ob wir zum Pitch eingeladen werden?

Nach Sichtung aller Bewerbung werden Sie nach den Weihnachtsferien von uns telefonisch informiert. Die Pitch-Treffen finden am Freitag, 28.01.2022 und Samstag, 29.01.2022 in der aim in Heilbronn statt.

Was wird bei dem Pitch-Treffen erwartet und wie läuft dieses ab?

Vorab erhalten die Teilnehmer/-innen weitere Informationen zum Ablauf. Bei dem Pitch-Treffen gibt es die Möglichkeit, das Medienkonzept vorzustellen und für Nachfragen der Jury zur Verfügung zu stehen. Die Pitch-Treffen finden am Freitag, 28.01.2022 und Samstag, 29.01.2022 in der aim in Heilbronn statt. Mit der Einladung zum Pitch erhalten Sie weitere Informationen.

Do you have any questions regarding the School Prize competition?

Jury member Prof. Dr. Thomas Raith will be happy to answer your questions relating to the selection criteria, conditions of participation, issues regarding the content of the media concept and much more!

Submit question now