2025 NATIONAL YOUTH CLIMATE ACTIVISM AWARD
View the 2024 YCAA WINNERS
The inaugural phase of the implementation of the Award was launched in the spring of 2022, and took place here in the 12 Vancouver Island School Districts.
In 2023 we reached out further to all youthful climate activists in British Columbia and in 2024, we expanded the Youth Climate Activism Award to youth across Canada!
If you are a student in Canada and wish to participate in the YCAA, ask your teacher or guidance counsellor for more information OR feel free to reach out to us directly.
The National Youth Climate Activism Award honours youth under the age of 20.
The award comes with a prize of:
$500 (ages 14 & under) OR
$1000 (ages 15-19)
Make UP TO a 5 minute video or write a short story of 500 words and tell us how you are taking meaningful steps toward improving the outlook for our planet with respect to climate change.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN…
On October 25, 2019, Peter Allan, the Executive Director of I-SEA joined thousands of people marching for the planet’s health and to see Greta Thunberg speak on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Greta’s 10-minute speech was deeply inspiring, but more significantly, the passion and enthusiasm of the young people in the crowd were very moving.
“We’re starting to see through their lies and we will hold them accountable for their actions. We will be a constant reminder that they are failing and that constant reminder is what we are today, and every Friday, every single day that goes by without sufficient action being taken and when the science is being ignored. Because we are not just some kids skipping school or some adults who are not going to work. We are a wave of change and together we are unstoppable.” — Greta Thunberg
“My experience among 10,000 fellow humans and the power of Greta’s words, planted the seed for a passion project. In my role as Executive Director for the Institute for Sustainability Education and Action, I was able to manifest a literal dream.
It’s a simple idea but it’s a big idea: shine a light so that teenagers can see the positive efforts their friends are making. Shine a light so that adults, communities and politicians can see these young spirits on fire by virtue of an award that becomes a symbol of the power of youthful voices. These inspiring messages will populate out into the virtual world as good news stories that help us all push back against climate despair."
— Peter Allan
The Youth Climate Cabinet
Is comprised of award alumni and is the body that administers the YCAA and serves as the peer review panel for submissions. In its spare time, the Cabinet speaks TRUTH TO POWER.
YCAA in the NEWS
Take a Stand Youth for Conservation
Take a Stand (TAS) and I-SEA have formed a partnership to collaborate on courageous youth climate action. The aim of TAS is to inspire, motivate and empower youth to protect and conserve the environment through art, film, and youth-driven actions. Youth represent honest and powerful voices for social change in their communities and are important advocates for better protection of plants, animals, and the natural communities they call home.
The I-SEA & TAS collaboration is reflected in mutually supporting our organizations’ two youth contests – the Student Innovation Challenge Contest and the National Youth Climate Activism Award.
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