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Youth Awards Celebrate Hope and Resilience

March 23, 2023  |  brower youth award, community engagement, environmental change, gloria barron prize for young heroes, president's environmental youth award, social good, youth activists, youth awards, youth climate activism
A child an an adult pick up trash on a beach

If you think too long about the complexity of the many issues facing the earth and its inhabitants, it can be easy to get bogged down by a sense of hopelessness. It’s valuable to have a realistic assessment of large-scale problems like climate change, housing insecurity, healthcare access, biodiversity loss, and the countless other crises happening at any given time. It’s also important, however, to find bright spots to protect your mental health, stay motivated, and acknowledge the hard work that many people are putting into making their communities better. One easy way to find a bright spot is to look for young people who care deeply enough to take action and create change. A wide variety of awards exist that recognize the amazing work that young activists are doing to promote environmental sustainability and social good.

A young person examines a tree with a magnifying glass

One of these awards is the Brower Youth Award, which recognizes and uplifts the work of six young people who have dedicated themselves to the environmental movement. Past winners have included youth leaders focused on everything from protecting pollinators to promoting better transit systems to advocating for STEM education. Awardees are pushing for the needs of their communities and working to fill gaps left by older generations. Applications for the 2023 Brower Youth Awards are now open and youth ages 13 to 22 living in North America are eligible.

A group of youth walk together and laugh during a service project

Similarly, the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes honors young people engaged in meaningful service work in their communities. About two thirds of past winners were recognized specifically for environmental service and many of the projects that won in 2022 combined topics like environmental and social change with entrepreneurship or art initiatives. Applications for the 2023 Gloria Barron Prize are now open and youth ages 8 to 18 living in the U.S. or Canada are eligible.

A child plants a tree with the help of an adult

Finally, the President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) focuses on environmental stewardship projects developed by students that work to protect the air, water, land, and ecology of the U.S. Winning projects have included community gardens, sustainable farming programs, and initiatives to reduce the use of single-use plastics. Applications for the current PEYA cycle open in fall 2023 and are open to K-12 youth who live in any U.S. state or territory.

A young person smiles at the camera in the park

Not every amazing young person can receive the recognition they deserve through a formal award. Many youth activists do important work in their communities without fanfare. These awards and others like them, however, attempt to shine a light on some of the folks who make our world a better place. Even in the midst of a climate crisis, political uncertainty, and all the other issues we may be facing, young people continue to provide the inspiration we need to keep pushing for change. If you know a young person who deserves to be celebrated for their efforts, consider nominating them for one of these prizes.