Young Reporters for the Environment Competition

Young Reporters for the Environment Competition is operated by Foundation for Environmental Education. YRE gives young people aged 11-25 a platform to research environmental issues and promote solutions through investigative reporting, photography, and video journalism.

Interested in the competition?

Competition Overview

11-25 years old

Eligibility

Free

Entry Fee

TBD

Submission Deadline

Mid-June 2026

Results Announcement

📌 Note: Aralia is not the organizer of this competition. For official rules, deadlines, and updates, please refer directly to the competition organizer. Aralia provides listings and information about competitions for student reference. Aralia is an online education platform offering competition preparation classes to students worldwide.

Competition Details

1. Age Categories

The Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) International Competition is open to

Individuals or groups aged 11–25 through schools, universities, or youth organizations.
Young people are enrolled in the Twinning international collaboration.
Students from International Schools that are registered as Eco-Schools.
Scouts Groups (from countries where FEE has no national member)
UNESCO Associated Schools Network (ASPnet)

There are 3 age categories in the YRE International Competition:

11-14
15-18
19-25

2. Competition Structure

All participants must first submit to their national competition. Only first-place national winners advance to the International Competition.

3. Young Reporters for the Environment Competition Categories

Theme: Food security & climate change. This theme encourages young reporters to examine how climate change affects global food systems, and to explore solutions connected to:

SDG 2: Zero Hunger
SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13: Climate Action

Submission Categories:

Article: Newspaper articles or columns (online/print), OR Blog posts or long-form social media posts (e.g., Facebook)
Video: Long-form Reportage [max 3 mins] (documentary, news report on YouTube or Vimeo) OR Short-form Campaign (TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels)
Photo: One Take Photo OR Staged Campaign Photo OR Photo Story (3-5 photos)
Podcast: Open for national competitions, with winners eligible for the Gosia Luszczek Podcasting Award

4. Timeline

International Deadline for Competition Submissions: TBD
Shortlisting and International Jury Meeting: Early June 2026
Announcement of International Competition Winners: Mid-June 2026

5. Prizes

The winners will receive diplomas, and the winning entries will be published internationally on online platforms such as Medium, We Don’t Have Time, and Youth Climate Report (for videos only). The 1st place winners will also be published on the YRE International website.

Submission Details

1. Submission Requirements

All entries must:

Include key information: Author name(s), age(s), school or group name, country, entry title, and link(s) showing how the work was shared.
Follow the required format, structure, and dissemination rules for the specific media category.
Be in English (or include English subtitles).
Focus on a real, current local environmental issue with clear connections to the global context.
Offer constructive, evidence-based solutions, supported by credible sources such as experts, stakeholders, and research.
Include proper credits or citations for any materials not created by students (images, videos, music, information).
Clearly state which Sustainable Development Goal(s) the submission addresses and briefly explain the connection, always from an environmental perspective.

2. YRE Dissemination

Dissemination allows young reporters to use their voices to raise awareness about local environmental issues. Entries are assessed based on how widely and effectively they are shared.

Four levels of dissemination and points:

Personal – Share via social media (Instagram, TikTok, X, Snapchat, YouTube, blogs) → 1 point
School/Scout Community – Share via school newspaper, website, posters, or flyers → 1 point
National Operator Organisation – Share via the national YRE website or social media → 1 point
Local & National Media – Share via TV, radio, or newspapers → 2 points

Total points reflect the reach and impact of the student’s reporting.