$3,000 Brower Youth Award for Changemakers

Earth Island Institute established the Brower Youth Awards for Environmental Leadership in 2000. We recognize the outstanding leadership efforts of young people with this annual, prestigious award.

Benefits include:

• $3,000 cash prize
• Short film highlighting each winner’s work
• All‑expenses‑paid trip to San Francisco for the awards ceremony and leadership activities
• Networking with environmental leaders and peers

Past winners have led initiatives in climate justice, conservation, sustainable food systems, and youth organizing.

• Must be 13–22 years old at time of application
• Must live in North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico)
• Must demonstrate outstanding leadership in an environmental or social justice project
• Must be available to attend the October 2026 ceremony in San Francisco
• A Few Tips
• The Brower Youth Awards are looking to recognize the leader of a group or an effort. While we will consider applicants who are implementing individual efforts, it is our tendency to focus on leaders of groups and efforts.
• Many research and science fair projects are individual and/or one-time efforts. As such, they are difficult to compare to the leadership of ongoing projects. We will not consider applicants who are implementing research and science fair projects, unless it is part of ongoing environmental efforts involving a larger group.
• We understand the impact and necessity of Earth Day, conferences, and one-time gatherings. However, we typically will not consider one-time gatherings for the award, unless the event produced long-term measurable impacts in which you have continued to play a significant leadership role.
• In high school
• In college or university
• Running a project or organization