Action for Nature - 2025 International Young Eco-Hero Awards

Applications for the 2025 International Young Eco-Hero Awards are now officially open! If you know a young environmental champion aged 8 to 16, this is their chance to shine. Winners receive a special certificate of achievement, media recognition, and a cash prize of up to $1,000! Deadline: February 28, 2025.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

To ensure your application receives full consideration, please review the following criteria carefully before submitting:

Project Requirements

• The project must focus on environmental health, advocacy, research, or the protection of the natural world.

• It should be action-based, self-initiated, and not an assignment from a teacher or other adult.

• Projects must be at least 6 months in duration and either close to completion or completed within the last year.

• For invention-based projects, applicants should have conducted trials prior to applying.

Applicant Requirements

• Applicants must be between 8 and 16 years old on February 28 of the application year.

• Projects submitted as part of a Science Fair or Scouting Badge will only be considered if they include additional environmental action, educational outreach, or extended studies beyond the original scope.

• Previous winners, immediate relatives of AFN board members, and active reading panel members or judges are not eligible to apply.

What We Do Not Accept

• Projects related to domestic or confined animals.

• Compositions, reports, or purely academic submissions.

Additional Guidelines

• Applications should be completed thoughtfully, with attention to detail. Take your time to provide clear, well-written responses, as this will help us understand your impact.

• Science Projects: Please include your hypothesis and results, and explain them in layman’s terms. Consider how your work can inspire or inform a broad audience, including policymakers or the general public. Think of your abstract as an opportunity to engage and excite—what is the overall impact of your project?

• We strongly encourage applications from young people directly working with nature, such as restoring habitats, protecting wildlife, or mitigating environmental threats.

Language Requirements

• Applications must be submitted in English.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Preference is given to projects of 2+ years and/or ongoing projects.

The applications will be judged according to several criteria, including but not limited to:

• originality

• difficulty

• organization

• length of time devoted to the project

• influencing/educating others

• use of outside resources (e.g. library, experts, media, community leaders)

• degree of success in reaching goals

• the impact on the environment

PRIZES

Winners will receive:

• PUBLIC RECOGNITION AND MEDIA PRESS RELEASE
• CASH PRIZE UP to $1,000
• CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT FOr OUTSTANDING EFFORTS TO HELP PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT
• EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO OUR ECO-HERO ALUMNI FACEBOOK GROUP

Just as importantly, winners will serve as role models for other young people by demonstrating that each individual can make a difference.