Deadline: March 31, 2026
Applications are open for the Brower Youth Awards for Environmental Leadership 2026. Earth Island Institute established the Brower Youth Awards for Environmental Leadership in 2000 to honor renowned environmental advocate David Brower. They recognize the outstanding leadership efforts of young people with this annual, prestigious award.
David Brower, was quoted as saying “I love to see what young people can do, before someone old tells them it’s impossible.” It is with this spirit that they recognize the outstanding leadership efforts of young people who are working for the protection of our shared planet. The Brower Youth Awards are housed in the New Leaders Initiative program at Earth Island Institute.
Benefits
- Recipients receive a $3,000 cash prize, a short film co-produced about their work, a trip to participate in leadership development activities, flight, meals, and lodging accommodations.
- Post event, Brower Youth Award winners join a wide network of over a hundred youth leaders across the world making a difference globally.
Eligibility
- Open to youth environmental change leaders ages 13 to 22 (as of the application deadline)
- Be living in North America (including Mexico, Canada, and U.S. territories).
Assessment Criteria
Applicants are assessed on the following criteria:
- Outstanding Youth Leadership: You played the major leadership role in creating, organizing and implementing your project or campaign(s).
- Issue & Approach: Your project is applying fresh solutions and approaches to relevant environmental challenges.
- Project Impact, Scalability, & Replicability: Is the project’s impact significant? Can your work be used as a model for other communities or campuses?
- Charisma, Personal Commitment, & Trajectory: What draws you to this work? What would winning a Brower Youth Award mean to you?
Application
All applications must be completed and submitted online. You must complete your own application. Parents, friends, mentors, and teachers cannot complete it for you.
In addition to meeting award eligibility requirements and following all instructions to complete the online application, each applicant must submit:
- a photograph of yourself
- if you are a semifinalist, you will be asked for a letter of support from someone who is familiar with you and your environmental work (cannot be from a parent or guardian)
For more information, visit Brower Youth Awards.
