OPEN CALL: Applications to The World Around Young Climate Prize
On the occasion of Earth Day 2024, global nonprofit organization The World Around announces applications are open for the second cycle of its Young Climate Prize.
The prize will be awarded to an international cohort of 25 under 25 who have realized their own projects that address, draw attention to or mitigate climate change in their community. These 25 finalists will be each assigned their own Design Champion mentor, and will join a bespoke online design academy of talks and workshops. At the end of the mentorship, an international jury will convene and select three winners to travel to New York City and present their work at The World Around Summit 2025.
The prestigious interdisciplinary, international group of Design Champions are specialists in their fields and will dedicate their time to accelerating the impact of the work and ideas of their mentees. They include:
Sebastián Acampante (Trimarchi, Argentina); Stephen Burks and Malika Leiper (Stephen Burks Man Made, US/Cambodia); Sean Connelly (After Oceanic, Hawai’i); CG Foisy (4Hawk Productions, US); Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin (Formafantasma, Italy); Ana María Gutiérrez (Fundación Organizmo, Colombia); Joseph Zeal-Henry (Sound Advice, UK); Rosario Hevia (Ecocitex, Chile); Hella Jongerius (Netherlands); Mariam Issoufou Kamara (Mariam Issoufou Architects, Niger); Asif Khan (UK); Brendan McGetrick (Museum of the Future, US/UAE); Justin McGuirk (Future Observatory, UK); Li Hu and Huang Wenjing, (Open Architecture, China); Suchi Reddy (Reddymade, US/India); Claudia Schmuckli (Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, US/Germany); Gurmeet Sian (Office Sian, UK); Paulo Tavares (Brazil); Ellie Stathaki (Wallpaper*, UK/Greece); Katie Swenson (MASS Design Group, US); Katie Treggiden (UK); Ilze Wolff (Wolff Architects, South Africa), Dong-Ping Wong (Food Architects, US).
This second Young Climate Prize cycle follows the successful inaugural edition, which concluded in 2023. The first cycle attracted over 300 applications from 50 countries. The three winners were Namra Khalid from Pakistan, Young Climate Visionary; Foday David Kamara from Sierra Leone, Young Climate Designer; Pamela Elizzararas Acitores from Mexico, Young Climate Voice. Aziba Ekio from Nigeria was awarded a Special Jury Prize. Kamara says: “Being recognized as one of the inaugural winners of this prize has indeed marked a turning point in both my life and the trajectory of my project… the accolades and networks I’ve accessed through the Young Climate Prize have been nothing short of transformative.”
The Young Climate Prize is free to apply for and participate in, and applications are accepted from any country. The World Around also welcomes nominations for candidates.
Eligibility criteria
–Applicants must be aged 13-25 at the time of application
–Groups of a maximum of three may enter
–Applicants can be located anywhere in the world
–Applicants must be able to demonstrate an existing, functioning project of their own creation that successfully addresses or mitigates climate change in their community
–Eligible projects could include but are not limited to: leadership and activism, innovation and invention, farming, conservation, energy access and equity, clean water initiatives, sustainable construction, engineering, journalism, film, art and digital design
Submission requirements
–Applicants must share a short video introducing their project and accompanying written or visual materials that show evidence of their work and its impact
–Submissions are accepted in English or Spanish
–Deadline for applications is July 31, 2024 at 11:59pm EST
For more information about the Young Climate Prize, or to apply, please visit youngclimateprize.com.
About The World Around
The World Around is a nonprofit organization that champions the work and ideas of architects and designers who are addressing the global challenges of our time. With a commitment to social and ecological justice, The World Around collaborates with international institutions to curate and commission conferences, events, and climate initiatives including its Annual Summit, In Focus public programs and Young Climate Prize.