About the opportunity
The Earth Prize is a global environmental sustainability competition organized by The Earth Foundation that recognizes teenage students who develop innovative solutions to accelerate positive environmental change. Open to individual students or teams of up to five, participants develop a validated solution guided by a structured framework and supported by volunteer mentors. After the initial blueprint submission, 35 teams are selected as Earth Prize Scholars for 1:1 mentorship, leading to the selection of seven Regional Winners and a public-voted Global Winner.
Funding and benefits
- Total prize pool of $104,500 awarded to accelerate positive change towards environmental sustainability
- Each of the seven Regional Winners receives USD 10,000 to implement their environmental project
- Global Winner recognized through public voting and an international awards ceremony
- Access to one-to-one mentoring sessions with professionals, researchers, and educators via Discord
- Personalized 1:1 mentoring for the 35 selected Earth Prize Scholar teams to refine their submissions
- Global exposure and networking through The Earth Foundation community
Who can apply?
- Must be born between 2007 and 2014
- Must be currently enrolled in education through a school, homeschool arrangement, or other educational program
- Open to individual participants or teams of up to five students from any class, grade, or school
- Minors must provide parent or guardian details to obtain verified parental consent before accessing the Discord community and competing
- Open to eligible students from any country worldwide
Required documents
- Completed online registration form and signed parental/guardian consent for minor participants
- The Earth Prize Blueprint: a validation-first framework covering seven building blocks, including evidence of problem validation, proof of concept, feasibility plan, and a pitch video
- For selected Earth Prize Scholars: Scholar Submission consisting of a Project Update, Budget & Next Steps plan, Structured Video, and an IP Self-Serve Worksheet
When to apply
- Registration period: January 11, 2026 to January 10, 2027
- Earth Prize Blueprint submission deadline: January 31, 2027
- Scholar selection review period: February 1 to February 25, 2027
- Announcement of 35 Earth Prize Scholars: March 3, 2027
- Scholar phase and submission window: March 3 to March 31, 2027
- Regional Winners announced: May 3 to May 9, 2027
- Public voting phase: May 10 to May 23, 2027
- The Earth Prize Awards Ceremony: May 28, 2027
How to apply
- Register online individually via The Earth Prize onboarding page before January 10, 2027
- Submit required parent or guardian details to secure necessary parental consent
- Join the official Earth Foundation Community on Discord to access mentorship and competition resources
- Participate individually or designate a Team Lead to create a team of up to five registered students in the submissions portal
- Develop and submit The Earth Prize Blueprint via the portal by January 31, 2027 (submitted once by the Team Lead with teammates added as contributors)
- If selected as an Earth Prize Scholar, complete and submit the refined Scholar package by March 31, 2027 with guidance from a 1:1 mentor
Additional information
- Submissions are evaluated on a 25-point scale across six criteria: Problem Validation (5 pts), Proof of Concept (5 pts), Solution Quality (4 pts), Next Steps & Commitment (4 pts), Feasibility & Planning (4 pts), and Communication & Inspiration (3 pts)
- Each Blueprint submission is independently reviewed three times by The Earth Foundation team and expert reviewers
- The Adjudicating Panel evaluates Scholar submissions to select the seven Regional Winners, with the overall Global Winner determined through public voting
Our Take on This Opportunity
This section reflects Open Opportunities’ own analysis of the opportunity from an applicant’s perspective.
You may be a strong fit if…
- Middle and high school students passionate about climate action, conservation, and practical environmental problem-solving
- Student inventors, tinkerers, or budding entrepreneurs who have a prototype, proof of concept, or community-validated idea ready to test and fund
- Teens seeking structured global mentorship and collaborative project experience outside the traditional classroom
What should you think carefully about?
- Participation requires two separate deadlines: an initial registration cutoff on January 10, 2027, followed by the final Blueprint submission on January 31, 2027
- Parents or legal guardians must actively sign off on consent before a student can access the community platform or submit work
- Evaluation heavily weights real user validation and feasibility; theoretical concepts without evidence of testing or community feedback score lower
How could this fit your current goals and plans?
This competition is ideal for secondary students aiming to transform an environmental passion project into a tangible venture. Beyond the substantial $10,000 implementation awards for regional champions, participants gain experience in design thinking, financial planning, video pitching, and intellectual property awareness. It serves equally well as a hands-on extracurricular capstone or as seed funding and credibility for an early-stage youth climate initiative.
Our take
Teenage students worldwide with a practical sustainability idea and the drive to validate it with real users should strongly consider registering. Those seeking purely academic essay contests or who cannot secure parental consent before the registration deadline will find it less suitable.
Ready to apply?
Review the opportunity on the official website before applying.
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