Nationwide “Youth Tests” Competition – Steinmühle Team Tests Successfully

For the first time, a team from Steinmühle participated in the “Jugend testet” competition. This is a nationwide competition organized by Stiftung Warentest in Germany, in which young people can independently test products and services. A jury composed of experts from Stiftung Warentest, the media, and consumer protection organizations awards prizes for the best tests. The goal of the competition is to encourage young people to adopt a critical approach to consumer behavior.

This year, under the patronage of Federal Minister for Consumer Protection Steffi Lemke, 3,152 young people participated, and a total of 826 tests were submitted.
Joshua Wieder, Benjamin Schul, and Morten Köhler tested so-called “oxi-cleaners,” which are also used in laundry as stain removers or bleaches (we reported on this in March). Their submitted project has now been recognized as one of the top 50 tests in all of Germany. For this achievement, they were honored with a certificate and a one-year subscription to the magazines *Test* and *Finanztest*.

The three participants offered nuanced assessments of the competition. They thought it was cool that their research had practical relevance and that the whole thing wasn’t quite as complex as the “Jugend forscht” competition. In short: it was less time-consuming and less exhausting.
However, all three are critical of the fact that the “Top 50” ranking is vague overall and that there is no feedback. They would have liked to know how they could improve for a potential next time.
Furthermore, this competition does not include in-person events where teams can exchange ideas. Without regional qualifying rounds, as is the case with the “Jugend forscht” competitions, for example, the competition is already very fierce with over 3,000 participants.
Nevertheless, it was an interesting experience overall, and I certainly wouldn’t rule out participating again in the future.