Young Climate Prize: Celebrating the Next Generation of Change

Rhea-AI Summary

Meta has partnered with The World Around to launch the inaugural Young Climate Prize, focusing on empowering Gen Z and Generation Alpha in climate activism. The program features 25 finalists aged 13 to 25, each receiving mentorship from industry leaders. Three winners will be announced on Earth Day (April 22, 2023), at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Categories include Young Climate Voice, Young Climate Designer, and Young Climate Visionary. The projects span five themes: Words Matter, Creating Connections, Innovators & Investors, All About Waste, and Radical Reuse. This initiative highlights youth-driven solutions to combat climate change, emphasizing the importance of community and creativity.

Positive

• Inaugural Young Climate Prize aims to elevate youth voices in climate activism.
• Partnership with The World Around enhances Meta's engagement with younger generations.
• Mentorship for participants supports development of innovative climate solutions.

Negative

• None.

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 11, 2023 / Meta

As the two generations that will be most impacted by the effects of climate change, Gen Z and Generation Alpha are bringing fresh passion and creativity to the climate fight.

To support and empower these emerging voices, The World Around, a nonprofit architecture forum, has created the Young Climate Prize, sponsored by Meta Open Arts. For its inaugural program, a cohort of 25 finalists, ages 13 to 25, were chosen to be paired with a The World Around's Design Champion for one-on-one mentorship to help further their projects.

From this group, three winners (and one honorable mention) will be feted at The World Around Earth Day Summit 2023, to be held on Earth Day (April 22) at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The winners are:

Young Climate Voice

Pamela Elizarrarás Acitores, Mexico

Young Climate Designer

David Foday Kamara, Sierra Leone

Young Climate Visionary

Namra Khalid, Pakistan

Honorable Mention

Aziba Ekio, Nigeria

Participant projects were chosen to represent today's climate landscape across five broad themes:

• Words Matter: Projects amplifying the voices of those whose stories are key to the climate conversation, yet are often ignored.
• Creating Connections: Young people seeing into the future of community building.
• Innovators & Investors: Engineers, architects, designers exploring new ways to approach the changing landscape.
• All About Waste: Researchers and innovators sharing their solutions to help solve one of the growing climate challenges of today.
• Radical Reuse: Projects examining how the management of materials from the beginning of their lifespan to their eventual decay are vital to combat climate change.

"Meta Open Arts is pleased to partner with The World Around on the inaugural Young Climate Prize. This program celebrates the power of community-building through creativity and brings critical attention to emerging climate voices of today and their visions for the future."

TINA VAZ, HEAD OF OPEN ARTS, META

Meet The Finalists

Words Matter

• Alfonse Chiu, 24, Singapore
  Researcher examining neocolonial flows of tropical fruits
• Aziba Ekio, 24, Nigeria
  Poet working on a collection of writings called "The Color Green"
• Pamela Elizarrarás Acitores, 24, Mexico
  Photographer and writer creating an ongoing lexicon about climate change
• Mangaliso Ngcobo and Sam Harding, 22, South Africa
  Writers and editors from South Africa who founded their own magazine
• Nastia Volynova, 24, Russia
  Researcher examining changes in forms of labor due to climate change
• Aida Namukose, 23, Uganda
  Photographer documenting women in the food industry affected by climate change

Creating Connections

• Marilita Quintana Molina, 24, Chilé
  Artist and climate advocate collecting plastic waste in her region and seeking to use it to improve her community
• Shariffa Amolo Anguria, 25, Kenya
  Activist and community leader educating on the negative impacts of traditional gold mining
• Raihan Rabbannee Hendrawan, 17, Indonesia
  Facilitator committed to engaging young people in the fight against climate change
• Sophia Tabibian and Lulu Goulet-Hofsass, 14, USA
  Community leaders who founded an online climate hub for global activists
• Sahithi Radha, 15, India
  Student and activist pioneering an e-waste collection and recycling initiative
• Hannah Segerkranz, 25, Estonia
  Product designer championing the use of hemp as an eco-friendly building material through an open source design

Innovators & Inventions

• Jin Gao, 25, China
  Researcher and maker focusing on the survival of bees in volatile climate conditions
• David Andrés Vega Monsalve, 23, Colombia
  Digital artist using VR to raise awareness about the effects of recent flooding in Pakistán.
• Ichor Joshua Keghnen, 22, Nigeria
  Mechanical engineer who created a device to monitor pollution in boreholes and water wells.
• Chris Vrettos, 26, Greece
  Clean energy advocate championing the nation's first all-solar community.
• Esther Olalude, 20, Nigeria
  An inventor creating affordable sanitary towels from recycled waste.

All About Water

• Namra Khalid, 25, Pakistan
  Researcher producing the region´s first socio-climatic map to facilitate addressing floods in Karachi.
• Anushuka Shahdadpuri, 26, India
  A designer working on a network of ways to accelerate clean water.
• Joseph Nguthiru, 24, Kenya
  A chemist who invented a biodegradable plastic made from water hyacinth.

Radical Reuse

• Gabriela Angelina Bernal Ibáñez, 19, Mexico
  An architect and engineer whose research into recycled panels is on trial in Mexico
• Foday David Kamara, 23, Rwanda
  An entrepreneur whose Ecovironment project is recycling post-consumer plastic waste into everyday construction materials like eco-bricks and paving tiles
• Moemen Sobh, 22, Egypt
  An architect pioneering new materials, including Visenleer, a fish-skin leather that makes use of bi-product and allows fishermen to make more money per fish sold
• Mohammed Dimma Mawejje, 22, Uganda
  A social entrepreneur using textile waste like fabric offcuts and second-hand clothes to create bags, earrings, dresses, and other fashion merchandise
• Stanley Anigbogu, 23, Nigeria
  A designer providing access to clean light and energy alternatives for students and refugees in his region

"The World Around is committed to focusing on what is happening now and how it can change the future. This group of inspiring young activists, inventors, entrepreneurs, writers and poets have shown us where the world's attention should focus. Their generation has a vested interest in finding solutions to our biggest challenges." - Beatrice Galilee, director, The World Around

To learn more about The World Around, follow them on Instagram. Follow Meta Open Arts at fb.com/metaopenarts and @MetaOpenArts on Instagram.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Meta on 3blmedia.com.

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SOURCE: Meta

View source version on accesswire.com:
https://www.accesswire.com/748636/Young-Climate-Prize-Celebrating-the-Next-Generation-of-Change

FAQ

What is the Young Climate Prize sponsored by META?

The Young Climate Prize, sponsored by META Open Arts, is an initiative created to empower youth in climate activism, pairing finalists with mentors to develop their projects.

When will the winners of the Young Climate Prize be announced?

The winners of the Young Climate Prize will be announced on Earth Day, April 22, 2023.

Who are the finalists for the Young Climate Prize?

The finalists include 25 young individuals aged 13 to 25, recognized for their innovative projects addressing climate change across various themes.

What themes are represented in the Young Climate Prize projects?

The projects represent themes such as Words Matter, Creating Connections, Innovators & Investors, All About Waste, and Radical Reuse.

How does META support climate change initiatives?

META supports climate change initiatives like the Young Climate Prize to foster community-driven solutions and amplify youth voices in the climate conversation.