Welcome
The Challenge
"Kids may be only 25% of the world's population, but we are 100% of the future."
-Melati Wijsen, Founder of Youthtopia (Bali, Indonesia)
Your youth IS your superpower. This is your world to inherit, the good and the bad. You have a voice and you have the right to demand action on things you know are wrong. As youth advocate Melati Wijsen says, you ARE 100% of the future!
A big key to being an effective advocate and champion for change is genuine passion, being informed, and clearly presenting your plan for change. In this challenge, you will be asked to examine the EARTH element in your community surrounding foodways, soil, or forests and identify one problem to focus on. Then, you'll be tasked with designing a feasible solution to start addressing this challenge.
Your Challenge
Explore and identify one problem or injustice relating to EARTH in your community, and design a feasible solution to start addressing this problem.
Rules & Details
- Teams must be registered through a teacher or adult advisor
- A team should be made up of 2-5 young people who are in an age group defined below
- Work on the plan should be led by students/ youth, not the advisor
- Each team should plan to complete their own Green Heart Action Plan and pitch video for review in Round 1 at your school.
- A maximum of ONE submission per class or club should be selected for Round 2.
- Round 1 finalists should be uploaded to the judging platform in March (Date TBA) for Round 2 of judging.
Timeline
- August 13, 2025: Registration Opens
- January 19, 2026: The Challenge Begins
- February 2, 2026: Checkpoint 1 (Intent to Participate) Due
- March 2, 2026: Checkpoint 2 (Problem Statement DRAFT) Due
- March 16, 2026: Final Submissions Due
- April 2026 (Date TBA): Finalists Selected
- April 2026 (Date TBA): In-person Final Events for Metro-Atlanta, Miami, and Houston Teams
- May 2026 (Date TBA): Finalists Invited to the Idea Incubator
Deliverables
There are two deliverables or final products each team should plan to submit for this Challenge:
- Green Heart Action Plan that describes your problem and your proposed solution
- Pitch video presenting your solution to your audience (maximum 2 minutes)
Review & Judging Criteria
- Problem Statement & Root Cause: Is the problem clearly defined and presented as a compelling problem to be addressed? Is the root cause of the problem identified and explained?
- Solution: Is the proposed solution clearly addressing the problem, and is the plan for HOW the team would go about implementing the solution clear and feasible?
- Research: Were credible sources used to support the problem statement and development of the solution?
- Measures of Success: Are there clearly defined measures of success that can indicate whether the solution is working or not?
- Impact & Equity: Is there a strong case made for the positive impact this solution will have on the community, and how it will benefit all people?
- Next Steps: Have you clearly outlined steps for taking your solution to the next stage and make a clear ask for support from your audience?
- Video Persuasiveness & Creativity: Does the team's video pitch describe the problem and solution creatively and persuasively?
Judging & Prizes
- Submissions will be judged by Team Planet
- Finalist teams will be selected to present as part of the final event in April
- Finalist teams will have the opportunity to pitch their solutions to a guest judge panel (date and format of final event will be announced)
- One team from each target location (Metro-Atlanta, Miami, and Houston) will be selected as the winners of the Green Heart STEM Challenge. All finalist team members will be invited to participate in the Idea Incubator, an in-person summer session to develop the ideas further into implementation, as well as earn the chance to apply for a seed grant of up to $1000 to fund their solution.
Is your earth for all?
