GENIUS Olympiad Zimbabwe

GENIUS Coding allows students to use their coding skills and algorithmic knowledge to solve environmental issues.

Students are expected to use Python programming language to develop algorithms for problems given by GENIUS Olympiad. It provides students with a lifetime experience and an opportunity to enhance their life skills such as being a team member, coding, creative thinking, and problem-solving. We created a platform where students will work as a team to solve the problem and will get real-time feedback if their solution is not successful which allows them to rework their solution to mimic real-life scenarios.

Each GENIUS Coding application must be prepared and attended individually (one student per application). Schools may apply with multiple students.

• GENIUS Coding is looking for students who are experienced in Python coding and can create algorithmic solutions for given problems.
• Students must make sure they have a stable internet connection.
• Students will work individually to solve the given problems and will not be allowed to interact with anyone.
• Students are also allowed to use any online or paper source during their competition. However, students are NOT allowed to ask any questions or help from any other student or their teachers.
• Results will be checked, and students cannot use AI chatbot tools.
• Each school may have more than one student.
• Students should prepare for our first step competition by solving algorithmic problems using online problem banks.
• Students should register by the application deadline and make their application fee payments in order to attend the first step competition.
• The first step competition will be scheduled within 10 days after the application deadline. Multiple competitions will be set according to time zones, and each student will be assigned to a particular scheduled competition. Students from the same school will receive different set of questions with same difficulty.
• The first step competition will be one hour in length and will include up to 5 coding problems in varying difficulty. The competition will close automatically once the time is up.
• Students may start solving any of the questions.
• Students may submit their solutions for each question separately once they think they completed the solution. The system will provide a compilation check. If their solution was not correct, they may continue to work on the problem and resubmit. This compilation check may take few minutes to complete depends on internet speed.
• The schedule and the link for the competition will be provided within our application site. Make sure to check your account and your emails. Make sure that emails from the GENIUS application site arrive into your inbox.
• Those who showed the knowledge of Python coding language and algorithmic solution by scoring at a certain level will be selected as a finalist to compete at the GENIUS Olympiad final step. Scoring will be done by the system based on the number of problems that were able to be completed successfully, the time and the number of attempts it took to solve each problem.

• Students must bring their own laptops to use at the competition.
• Students will work individually and no interaction with anyone is allowed during the session.
• Students are allowed to use paper source during the competition. However, students are NOT allowed to ask any questions or receive help from anyone including their teachers.
• Students must turn off all additional electronics (phones, smartwatches, tablets ..etc) besides their laptops and keep them in their bag. All social media apps or any websites other than the competition website must be closed on their laptops. Any violation will result in disqualification.
• Results will be checked, and students cannot use AI chatbot tools.
• The final competition will be two and half hours in length and will include multiple Python coding problems in varying difficulty. The competition will close automatically once the time is up. The difficulty of questions at the final competition will be harder than the first step competitions.
• Student supervisors will not be allowed to be in the room during the competition.
• Students may start solving any of the questions. Students may work on each problem as a team or may choose to work on separate problems.
• Students may submit their solutions for each question separately once they think they completed the solution. The system will provide a compilation check. If their solution was not correct, they may continue to work on the problem and resubmit. This compilation check may take few minutes to complete.

• Students' final score will be based on the number of problems that were able to be completed successfully, the time and the number of attempts it took to solve each problem. Additionally, the energy efficiency (carbon footprint) of submitted solutions will be scored by testing it on a Genius Olympiad computer for all teams after the competition.
• 20% of your total score will come from your energy efficiency score. Only successful complete attempts for each question will be considered for energy efficiency evaluation. Unsuccessful attempts will receive no points for energy efficiency

GENIUS Speech raise awareness and inspires action on environmental issues through persuasive speeches and talks.

Each GENIUS Speech project must be prepared and presented by only one student . To address the GENIUS Speech 2025 topic (see below) from the students country's perspective, students are tasked with recording a one-minute speech, which will be uploaded to YouTube as part of the initial application. The application should show an understanding of the issue by summarizing the answers to the questions below. At the fair, finalist students will deliver a three-minute speech demonstrating their knowledge of the issue, proposing potential solutions, and responding to questions from a panel of judges for six to seven minutes. This process is designed to encourage critical thinking and engagement with real-world environmental challenges.

Most scientists believe that global climate change is increasingly driven by anthropogenic carbon emissions. One proposed solution is to create carbon markets to allow companies to buy and sell carbon credits and utilize carbon offsets of various types. In theory companies (and the governments of countries) will be able to buy and sell carbon credits. Total credits that are in circulation will be reduced over time, hopefully leading to reductions in total carbon emissions.

• How might carbon markets function, and why might they be a solution to increased carbon emissions?
• What are important factors that developing countries must consider when utilizing carbon markets?
• What are important factors that developed countries must consider when utilizing carbon markets?
• What are the inherent difficulties in establishing and maintaining carbon markets?
• What are the inherent difficulties in utilizing carbon offsets?
• How might carbon offsets help, hinder, or accelerate development in your country?
• What are the possible positive side effects of carbon markets for your country?
• What are possible negative side effects for your country of carbon markets?
• Overall, should your country participate in carbon markets? Why or Why not?

• A speech project must be prepared and submitted by only one student.
• Your project video must be submitted for a complete application. All submissions must have a title.
• The speech project video must be three minutes or less long.
• Student speech in the application video must be in English.
• The speech project video must be uploaded on YouTube with the following title: "GENIUS Olympiad Speech–YEAR: Title of the project". The YouTube link must be submitted during the application process within MEDIA LINK. Please do NOT upload the video itself to the application site; we will watch your video on YouTube for initial evaluation.
• Video recording - Clear voice and audio: Ensure your voice is loud and clear, with minimal background noise.
• Video recording - Don’t read from a screen or paper: Speak naturally to engage your audience.
• Video recording - Record full body: Make sure the camera captures your entire body for a professional appearance.
• Video recording - Look at the camera: Maintain eye contact by looking directly into the camera to connect with your viewers and judges.
• All projects must be submitted in their final format.
• Your video project file name must be in English characters and should be less than 25 characters.
• By submitting an application, you give rights to GENIUS Olympiad to use your video and creative work freely.

• Students will be asked to stand up at the podium in a classroom where they will give their three-minute speech without a microphone.
• Student speeches will be timed, and they will be warned with a bell at two-minute and two-minute thirty-seconds marks. Students will be stopped at the three-minute mark.
• After the student's speech is over, judges will ask several questions over six to seven minutes. The students must understand and respond to the questions, and their responses will influence their ratings.
• Other participants will NOT be allowed into the room during an individual student's judging session. Only one student (who is judged at the time), judges, and GENIUS staff are allowed to be present in the judging room.
• Supervisors are NOT allowed in the judging room during judging sessions.
• Read the Finalist guide under rules for more information.
• Only students who participate will be recognized with awards if the project wins an award.

1. Depth of Understanding: Demonstrates a clear grasp of the issue, including its causes, impacts, and significance.
2. Relevance to the Topic: How well the student addresses the chosen environmental issue.
3. Accuracy and Research: Presents well-researched, accurate information with creativity and originality in suggesting solutions to address the issue.
4. Engagement: Maintains eye contact, uses body language, and presents with confidence and enthusiasm.
5. Clarity of Speech: Speaks clearly and audibly, using appropriate language and terminology.
6. Structure and Organization: Presents information logically with a clear beginning, middle, and conclusion.
7. Quality of Responses: Provides thoughtful, insightful, and relevant answers demonstrating an understanding of the questions.
8. Confidence and Poise: Responds confidently, even under pressure.

GENIUS Business raises awareness of environmental values in the business world, from bringing green products and services to market to developing a social responsibility plan for any business aiming to have a positive relationship to the society and the environment in which it operates.

Each GENIUS Business project can be prepared and presented by up to two students. Participants must prepare and present a business plan to judges as though they were making a pitch for funding for their business plan, also known as an investment proposal. Presentations will be made in formal business attire and should include a Powerpoint/Prezi (or similar) presentation of no more than 10 minutes before QandA.

Students may offer a new product or technology to decrease human impact on the environment, or they can offer improvements to existing products or technologies to make them greener or more sustainable. This involves a combination of science, engineering and business sense. Participants must offer the product, technology, or enhancement along with a plan to bring this product or technology to market. The business plan must include an analysis of the existing market, analyzing potential buyers, suppliers, current competition, the culture of the market regarding of product, potential future competitors, and potential substitute technologies. It should then describe the product, its target market, expected price, promotional plans, and how it will be delivered to the customer. Finally, the business plan should include staffing and facilities plans, as well as ultimate profit goals.

Social Responsibility plan should offer environmental solutions for existing businesses and industries, with the aim of a reduction in environmental impact. Participants must offer a 10-minute Powerpoint/Prezi (or similar) presentation promoting their business plan to make a change within their target business or industry. The business plan should include an analysis of the current environmental impact of the business/industry, a description of the proposed changes, and an analysis of the impact of these changes on the environment. The plan should then explore the financial cost of implementation and the impact of implementation on the company's position in the market (including the impact of any change in price, change in the customer experience of the product, obstacles to delivery, etc.). Participants should also examine potential competition from other sustainability models, and make the case for their own plan as the best solution.

• Each GENIUS Business project can be prepared and presented by up to two students.
• Submit a business plan describing the requested information. All projects, including affiliated fair winners, must submit these items.
• The business plan must be no more than 20 pages long, including a 2-page executive summary.
• The entire application document should be in English, and all file names must be in English characters. File name should be less than 25 characters.
• If the planned market is a non-English-speaking country, the presentation may include examples of the target languages as appropriate in marketing materials, etc.
• All projects must be submitted in ONLY PDF format.
• All financing should be converted into US dollars.
• We can not share other's business plan from previous years, however, the best projects are the ones which follow a typical business plan structure. As an example, we provide the following (you may choose to use other business plan templates): Business plan template (PDF)
• By submitting an application, you give rights to GENIUS Olympiad to freely use your creative work.

• Present your project as a business pitch to the group of judges, using your Powerpoint/Prezi presentation in a business-like setting. Please practice the presentation to ensure that it is less than 10 minutes.
• It is HIGHLY recommended to bring models or prototypes of any product or technology you may be offering as a part of your presentation.
• Students are advised (not required) to bring printed copies of their executive summary (2 pages) of their business plans to distribute to curious viewers.
• A computer (operating with Windows) with a projector and a screen will be available for students to use. However, you may also use your own computer. Apple computer users must bring an adapter to connect their computer to HDMI.
• Students are allowed to make minor changes and improve their projects between application and fair presentation.
• Only students who participates in will be recognized with awards if the project wins an award.
• Supervisors are not allowed at the judging area during judging sessions.

1. Creativity of concept: Does the team propose a novel, distruptive or unique business concept that will provide a competitive advantage and positive impact on environment?
2. Feasibility of concept: Does the proposed concept have a realistic potential to succeed? Are key milestones identified and can the product/service be produced and delivered to customers within the given timeline?
3. Marketability and Profitability: Is there a clear market need presented? Does the proposal suggest a viable way to meet the need? Can the product/service be successful to monetize? Is the business model both realistic and viable in the intermediate term?
4. Impact on Environment: Can the product/service resolve an existing environmental issue or reduce the impact on resources or environment?
5. Capability of the Management Team: Have the team members identified key risks and how they will be mitigated? Do the team members have a solid knowledge of the market and the competitors.
6. Overall Communication of Concept: Did the team present the concept in a prepared, logical, and persuasive manner. Did the team display enthusiasim and self-confidence about the concept during presentation?

GENIUS Art raises public awareness to take action on global environmental problems and solutions.
Each GENIUS Art project can be prepared and presented by only one student.

Photojournalistic, documentary, experimental, or expressive, photography in all of its machinations can be used to inspire, inform, motivate, and otherwise provide the viewer with a distinct experience related to environmental issues. GENIUS photography encompasses a wide variety of artwork which uses the environment and all its many aspects, including human impacts on nature, which is a lot more realistic and more in accordance to what we see around us, as their subject.

Turning your lens toward a scene of decay, pollution and photographing it in a way that induces an emotional reaction in the viewer can probably do more to help protect the wilderness than a photograph of a pristine landscape will. By supporting the power of photographic storytelling, we motivate society to make a positive change to raise awareness about endangered cultures, threatened environments and social concerns through photography.

GENIUS photography should (but not limited to) express the way natural systems respond and do not respond with the environmental issues, express a sense of frustration about the world we live in, express changes society made through construction, pollution, and land-management policies, and express actions of moments within cities, human environment, and nature to raise awareness. Sometimes, simple photos, such as green coming out of a concrete wall or road can be an inspiration. For professional examples of environmental photography, please visit these websites for award-wining projects: 2018_photos and 2016 _photos

A GENIUS poster should motivate to think differently about the things that people may be learning or doing about environment, should aim to create a behavioral change regarding environmental problems (local or global) such as global warming, water (pollution or usage), air pollution or quality, waste management (reduce, reuse, and recycle), energy, etc. It can be created digitally or any form of painting (including pencil). 90% or more of the artwork must be created by the student artist. For professional examples, please visit "Environmental Awareness Posters" or "environment awareness campaign" or "others"

Mixed media art refers to a visual art form that combines a variety of media in a single artwork. For example, if you draw with ink, then paint over it with watercolors, then add some highlights in colored pencil, and these drawing can be enhanced with addition of collage of photos/recycled papers which can also be colored or penciled over, and cotton balls, and tree branches, or any material including recycled material can be glued to give a 3-D look for the artwork- that's mixed media!

A GENIUS Mixed Media should transform your life experiences to create a unique and quirky artwork to showcase an environmental focus. GENIUS Mixed Media artwork should be in 3-D form, and including glued colored papercuts incorporated into art would be enough to give a 3-D look for the artwork. Students are highly encouraged to use recycled materials, including paper, old postcards, newspapers, cans, fabric, etc to provide a 3-D mixed media work. Also, make sure that your artwork backing is strong enough to carry your artwork. The depth of the artwork should not be more than 8" (12 cm). For mixed media art examples, 3D Project ideas, and more

• Art projects can be prepared and submitted by only one student.
• The size of the artwork should be 18x24 inches.
• You will be required to submit your artwork as part of the application process (submitted by uploading a document within the application system) and a one-page optional artist statement. All projects, including affiliated fair winners, must submit their artwork.
• Poster art, photography, and mixed media must submit their artwork in JPEG format with a file size under 5 MB.
• All imagery and art must be your own work.
• Your project file name must be in English characters and should be less than 25 characters.
• By submitting an application, you give rights to GENIUS Olympiad to freely use your creative work.

• Printed artwork (for poster art and photography projects) must be 18 x 24 inches to be displayed at the GENIUS Olympiad. GENIUS will provide a black foam board of 22x28 inches for all artwork display.
• Students are allowed to make improvements on their projects between application and fair presentation.
• Judges may ask questions about the work and how you design, compose and create the work.
• Read the Finalist guide for more information.
• Only students who participates in will be recognized with awards if the project wins an award.
• Supervisors are not allowed at the judging area during judging sessions.

1. Creativity: Does the project design show newness and originality?
2. Composition: Does project shows visual balance, static or dynamic, of the various elements included in the project?
3. Expression of Meaning: How well does the project make its own theme clear to the viewer?
4. Expression of Emotion: Does the project can be expected to evoke an emotional response in the viewer?
5. Relevance: What is the degree of relevance of the project to the local, national, or global environmental issues?
6. Quality: Does the project effectively use the chosen media with combined skill involved in production of the work to convey its message.
7. Overall Expression: addresses the project as a whole, and is often based on the first glimpse of the finished piece. Without regard to the other criterion, does it stand on its own as a good and complete work of art?