In partnership with the Taiwan Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA), GEEP invites you to apply for the 2024 Youth Innovation Challenge (YIC): Advancing Marine Conservation! This challenge offers young people aged 15–30 worldwide the chance to share innovative solutions to protect marine resources. This year’s theme focuses on addressing marine issues such as biodiversity loss, marine debris, lack of awareness, and related concerns, encouraging all ages to become active stewards of marine environments.
Benefits
All eligible proposals will be reviewed by a panel of experts in environmental education, community engagement, and marine conservation. Fifteen YIC finalists will be selected and will receive:
- An official YIC finalist certificate.
- Recognition on GEEP, NAAEE, and other global partners’ websites and social media pages.
Three winners will be chosen from the 15 finalists, each receiving a $1,000 USD prize, as well as the benefits listed above. Winners will also be invited to the YIC award ceremony at the Taiwan Ocean Conservation Administration’s marine debris conference in Taiwan in September 2024, with all travel expenses covered.
Requirements
The Youth Innovation Challenge is open to young leaders and innovators aged 15–30. Solutions should address one of the following key areas, incorporating environmental education:
- Marine biodiversity and conservation entails managing, maintaining, and/or restoring marine biodiversity for ecological, cultural, economic, and other reasons.
- Marine debris: Reducing and/or mitigating the effects of marine debris, including monitoring, cleanup, recycling of marine debris, and educating communities about these issues.
- Public-private partnership: Encouraging collaboration among the private sector, governments, and the general public to safeguard maritime habitats. This could include initiatives for government-corporate cooperation to meet corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals, civic engagement opportunities for public involvement in government programs, and other collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors.
Selection Process
Applicants must submit a brief video pitch (3 minutes or less) showcasing their innovative solution, along with detailed responses to the questions below. Successful proposals will demonstrate how their solution addresses marine conservation, biodiversity, or debris issues, or utilizes public-private collaborations to protect marine environments. Additionally, they must explain how their solution is innovative, feasible, and grounded in effective environmental education.
Method of Application
Applications must be submitted online through Submittable by Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at 11:59 PM U.S. Eastern Time. Winners will be contacted by September 2024.
For more information,
Application Deadline: June 12, 2024.
