Budding eco-champions in Derry encouraged to join Young Environmentalist Awards

ECO-UNESCO – Ireland’s leading environmental education and youth organisation – is inviting young environmentalists from Derry to take part in the Young Environmentalist Awards (YEA) 2025/2026, with registration now officially open. Now in its 27th year, the YEA celebrates and supports youth-led projects that address some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

The YEA is open to groups of young people (aged 10-18) across the island of Ireland in super junior, junior and senior categories. Participants are invited to design and deliver local environmental action projects in categories such as biodiversity, climate change, waste, energy, transport, art and design, health and wellbeing, and community development.

Annually, the YEA engages thousands of young people across the island of Ireland through schools, youth groups and local communities; the programme helps to build environmental awareness, helps develop key skills as well building confidence in young people. The YEA encourages local level youth-led action which is linked to the global sustainable development goals (SDGs).

ECO-UNESCO provides continuous mentoring and support to help young people bring their ideas to life, offering training, resource packs, and ongoing guidance, and the YEA follows a simple ‘6 Steps to Success’ action project framework.

Completed projects are submitted for adjudication, with shortlisted groups invited to pitch their projects to expert judges at regional ECO-Dens, in a live, Dragon’s Den-style showcase held in locations across the island of Ireland.

The journey culminates at the YEA showcase and awards ceremony, where finalists present their projects and the winners are revealed. This annual event is attended by approximately 1,000 attendees, including environmental experts, educators, families, and supporters.

To coincide with the launch of YEA, ECO-UNESCO is inviting young people in Derry to take part in ECO-Week 2025 during September 22-26, which will run alongside Sustainable Development Goals Week Ireland.

This week-long programme of free, expert-led online workshops will explore the basics of climate change, the United Nations’ 17 SDGs, and the vital links between nature, health and wellbeing. Participants will also hear directly from the Republic of Ireland’s Climate Youth Delegate.

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Elaine Nevin, National Director, ECO-UNESCO, said: “The Young Environmentalist Awards show that young people, including from Derry, are leading the way with creative, practical solutions to environmental challenges. From planting for biodiversity to cutting waste in schools, their actions prove that local projects can make a global difference. ECO-Week 2025 is the perfect springboard for starting YEA projects, giving young people from Derry the knowledge and inspiration to kick off their journey.”

ECO-Week 2025 sessions are tailored for two age groups (8-12 and 13-18) and are open to schools, youth groups and community groups in Derry, with the option to join live or via playback.

To register for the 2026 Young Environmentalist Awards, visit www.yea.ie, or email yea@ecounesco.ie for more information. Registration closes on 7th November 2025, while project submissions close on 10th February 2026.

To register to take part in ECO-Week, visit www.ecounesco.ie/what-we-do/eco-weeks/.