Trust for Sustainable Living International Student Competition 2025 (£1,000 prize) Deadline: 3 March, 2025

Applications are open for the Trust for Sustainable Living International Student Competition 2025. Since their first competition was launched in 2010, Trust for Sustainable Living (TSL) has received over 14,000 essay and video entries from 120 countries, exploring topics from sustainability education, protecting biodiversity and sustainable cities, to climate justice, nature-based solutions and youth messages to world leaders.

This year, in celebration of their 15th year of International Student Competitions, they are excited to launch the next competition inviting students to share their original, creative and expressive responses to the theme, From Eco-Anxiety to Eco Action & Empowerment.

About the Theme: From Eco-Anxiety to Eco Action & Empowerment

Eco-anxiety, climate grief and climate anxiety are defined as ‘negative emotional responses generated due to the threat of environmental and climate crisis’. A 2024 United Nations report has highlighted that ‘Eco-anxiety’ is an ‘emergency crisis hidden in plain sight’ and is likely to create a massive impact among the world’s children and youth.

Recent global surveys have indicated that over 50% of young people are experiencing eco-anxiety and are extremely worried about environmental and climate change, with many reporting feelings of sadness, anxiousness, anger, powerlessness, helplessness and guilt.

Responses to the climate and ecological crisis such as anxiety and anger are natural and healthy emotional responses, and many believe these feelings can be channelled and can help encourage engagement, understanding and action at an individual and group level, as demonstrated by the rise in youth engagement and action seen over the last few years.

TSL wants to help young people develop a sense of agency, empowerment and hope for solutions and action by creating a safe and supportive space and outlet for expression for students and teachers to explore moving from feelings of eco-anxiety, to eco action & empowerment.

Prizes

• The overall Grand Prize Winner will receive a trophy and a cash prize of £1,000 plus £500 for their school, with one Runner Up receiving a trophy and a cash prize of £500 plus £250 for their school (cash prizes paid in local currency).
• All participating Teacher Champions, Finalists, Honourable Mentions and International Debate participants, will receive personalised e-certificates.

Eligibility

• Open to all students worldwide, aged 7-18 across two age categories – 7-11 years and 12-18 years.
• They are open to accepting any form of student response, you can choose to create a piece of artwork, music, video, poem, essay, letter, story, etc. There are no restrictions on the type of work submitted, they want students to be as open and creative as possible in interpreting the theme, however it must meet the submission criteria.

Application

Entry Requirements:

• Accepted file formats: DOC, DOCX,  PDF, JPG, PNG, MP3 or MP4
• Maximum file size: 400MB (for any file type)
• Word limit: Written entries should be a maximum 600 words (not including the bibliography and 250 word maximum self reflection)
• Duration limit: Video or audio pieces should be a maximum of 3 minutes long

Click here to apply

For more information, see FAQ and visit TSL Competition.