Teenagers worldwide invited to join $100K Earth Prize to solve our toughest eco challenges

• The Earth Prize is the world’s largest environmental competition and ‘ideas incubator’ for young people, empowering 13-19 year olds with mentorship and $100K funding
• Seven Winners representing the regions of Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Central & South America, Middle East, Oceania & Southeast Asia will each win $12.5K
• Previous winners are creating real life impact and applying for patents
• Since 2021, the prize has reached almost 15,000 young people, across 160 countries
• Registrations are open until 10 January and project submissions close 31 January

The Earth Prize is run by The Earth Foundation, a non-profit based in Geneva, Switzerland, which was founded during the School Strike for Climate in 2019. Climate anxiety is a widespread reality for young people today, with a recent study showing that 59% are very or extremely worried about the environment.

1 September, 2025. This week, The Earth Prize officially opens registrations for the world’s largest environmental solutions competition and ‘ideas incubator’ for young people aged 13-19 years. Designed to empower the next generation and increase ‘climate hope’, The Earth Prize supports young people with 1:1 mentoring, learning resources and funding to scale up.

Since 2021, The Earth Prize has empowered almost 15,000 young people across 160 countries and territories. Each year, teams take on challenges that adults have yet to solve, often inspired by climate issues they’ve witnessed first-hand - from water pollution, to wildfires, to forest degradation. Some students apply with fully formed ideas, while others develop a concept into a working pilot with the guidance of a mentor. Seven Regional Winners are then selected by an expert jury to represent Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Oceania & Southeast Asia, each receiving $12.5K to advance their solution, before a public vote decides the Global Winner. As part of this tradition, each Regional Winner becomes the custodian of a special Earth Prize flag - hand-embroidered from recycled sailboat cloth - which they look after for one year, passing from one generation of changemakers to the next.

This year’s edition sees two exciting updates. The first is the launch of the wider Earth Alliance community on Discord, a social messaging platform, designed for students, educators, experts and anyone interested in sustainability as an online hub where they can connect, share resources, find opportunities, attend talks and workshops, and support one another in making a positive impact. The second is that new participants in The Earth Prize will be guided step-by-step by TEPi, an AI chatbot brought to life as a fun animated Earth avatar.

Previous winners have created pioneering, never-seen-before solutions - from team PURA’s water filter that removes antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria from our waterways, to team Thermavault’s salt-powered electricity-free fridge for medical supplies. The top teams have been featured in Forbes, Business Insider US, Business Insider Africa, Tech.eu, The Financial Times and Euronews, with many pursuing patents for their inventions.

For those wondering whether they should apply, 17-year-old Sumedh Kotrannava, who won The Earth Prize in 2024, explains:

Register for The Earth Prize 2026 at www.theearthprize.org before 10 January and submit your project before 31 January.