Make a difference with The Earth Prize
“Environmental anxiety is very real”, says 17-year old Rajas Nandas, a teen based in the UK, “but I do think The Earth Prize is making a difference in the sense that it gives some hope.”
The Earth Prize has quickly become known as the world’s largest environmental competition and ‘ideas incubator’ for young people, empowering 13-19 year olds with mentorship and $100K funding for their bright eco solutions.
Since 2021, the prize has had applications from over 10,000 young people, across 154 countries and territories. Teenagers all over the world are pulling together into teams and tackling some of our planet’s toughest eco challenges, all with the support of expert mentors, who guide them through the development of their inventions.
From technological software to physical products, the range of solutions created by the young applicants cover topics such as plastic waste, water and air pollution, overconsumption, deforestation, drought, and more.
This year, for the first time, an expert jury will select Seven Regional Winners from every continent (Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, Middle East, North America and Oceania). Excitingly for this year, there will also be one final ‘Global Winner’ who will be chosen via a public vote.
With registrations open until 30 November 2024, there’s never been a better moment to join in and bring your ideas to life. Let these stories of previous applicants inspire you to take that first step—your idea could be the next game-changer!
FloodGate (Winners 2024)
George, Shubhan, Sumedh and Reichen from North Carolina were increasingly seeing flooding take over their region and felt powerless to halt the damage it caused to property and their community. On discovering that over 240 million people face the devastating impacts of floods worldwide, they began to wonder why there was not an accessible flood prediction and detection system available for use.
Sparking the idea for FloodGate, this team of four created a pioneering flooding prediction and warning technology. Based on an interactive 3D flood model, which will soon become an app, their solution can be used to support local governments, agencies and individuals as they plan efficient evacuation and relief operations. This technology has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide and empower vulnerable communities with the information they need to protect themselves.
Reichen Schaller gave some advice for future applicants: “It can sometimes feel daunting to start, but gaining experience can give you the confidence to join a more accomplished group or project. Even if your idea is in the early stages of development, don’t hesitate to apply for The Earth Prize. The competition is incredibly supportive of projects that are just beginning, and there’s a lot to learn even if you don’t have months of testing or a fully developed prototype.”
Delavo (Winners 2023)
This all girl team won The Earth Prize in 2023 having experienced water scarcity in their region of the Tigris River basin, in Türkiye. The teenagers named Yagmur, Avjin, Damla and Irmak were determined to come up with ways to save water and prevent water pollution, not only locally but on a global scale. They soon discovered that laundry machines discard harmful microfibers into water systems, meaning that every load of laundry across the world sheds 50 litres of toxic waste water into the soil and groundwater. They thought that there has to be a better way to manage something as habitual as washing your clothes.
Together they created an easily implemented solution, the “ECaundry” device - a filter that can be installed in washing machines. The integrated hollow ultrafiltration tubes and carbon filter treat and reuse laundry waste water, incredibly saving more than 90% of laundry wastewater. Their solution not only protects the environment, but also supports communities impacted by water pollution.
‘‘Delavo’’ means freshwater in latin, and to clean up and wash in Kurdish. Today the team is applying for a patent and also working with a national washing machine manufacturer to implement their solution across the country.
The team’s advice for future applicants? “The Earth Prize played a crucial role in the success of Delavo by providing influential mentorship support, and enabling Delavo to be heard by possible partner companies. Therefore, we highly recommend young entrepreneurs apply to The Earth Prize to receive support”.
HiveHealthy (Finalist 2024)
One-man-band HiveHealthy is led by Vince, an eleventh grader and hobby beekeeper. Vince is passionate about honeybee health and the crucial role they play in pollination systems that sustain 35% of the food supply and support 75% of key crops globally.
Using his knowledge of beekeeping and interest in computer science, Vince began collecting data on his bees' activity using radio tags and weather station data. This led to the development of a foraging behaviour model for farmers. With The Earth Prize, he has expanded this model to include a system of cameras, sensors, and a machine learning-driven app that tracks honeybee health and sends timely alerts to beekeepers. This solution helps protect bees from climate change, mites, and harmful crop treatments.
This is Vince’s first time participating in a competition like The Earth Prize. He’s enjoyed refining his project through the programme’s structure, gaining guidance from experts. Vince’s advice to future applicants: “If you think that you’d like to apply, you should! Absolutely give it a shot. If you really have passion for your idea, it will definitely show in the material you put together. Go for it.”
The planet is calling you!
To register for The Earth Prize 2025, find out everything you need to know here and make sure to fill in this short registration form by 30 November. You’ll then have until 31 January to submit your full project proposal. Good luck!