Young Innovators Tackling Conservation Issues: Announcing the 2025 Global Slingshot Challenge Award Recipients

2,700 submissions from more than 5,700 youth in 96 countries submitted to the third annual environmental youth challenge, presented by the National Geographic Society and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation

Learn more about each award recipient by downloading their submission videos, photos and bios here.

WASHINGTON, May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- From combating deforestation with artificial intelligence in Nigeria to protecting the monarch butterfly by raising awareness through community workshops in the U.S., award recipients of the 2025 Slingshot Challenge are working to improve the future of conservation around the globe. The National Geographic Society and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation today announced the 15 award recipients of the third annual initiative that calls on youth ages 13-18 to submit 1-minute videos describing their ideas for solving environmental issues. Five Top Honors recipients will receive $10,000 each, five Distinguished Achievement recipients will receive $5,000 each, and five Significant Achievement recipients will receive $1,000 each to strengthen their projects as they tackle environmental issues.

"The creativity and passion we've seen from this year's Slingshot Challenge participants is nothing short of inspiring," said Deborah Grayson, the Society's chief education officer. "These young innovators are not only identifying urgent environmental issues in their own communities, but they're also developing tangible, thoughtful solutions to address them. The Slingshot Challenge is about enabling the next generation of changemakers, and this year's awardees give us great hope for the future of conservation."

The 2025 Slingshot Challenge received over 2,700 submissions from more than 5,700 youth across 96 countries. Between equipping youth in Nigeria to tackle plastic pollution through upcycling workshops and extracting water from humid air in Mexico to tackle the water scarcity challenges, these young changemakers are working to solve conservation issues at local levels. According to a post-participation survey, participants achieved significant gains in their Explorer Mindset knowledge, skills, and attitudes, including a 15% increase in their experience taking action to contribute to positive change, a 25% increase in their belief they can make a difference, and a 23% increase in their confidence in knowing how to contribute to reducing waste. The review process is designed to ensure that environmental concerns are addressed across the globe through local solutions championed by local changemakers. The Five Top Honors Award Recipients are:

• Fighting Wildfires, Mariela Cruz-Suarez, United States: Protecting nature by preventing wildfires through youth-led citizen science and data mapping projects in Los Angeles.
• Let's Talk E-waste!, Halah Noor, Bahrain: Reducing electronic waste by creating capacity-building resources for youth to campaign and take action in their communities. 
• Lila y su sueño de la cuna azul, Lila Seo Martínez, Ecuador: Protecting nature through a native plant restoration program aimed at increasing the biodiversity of pollinators in Ecuador.
• Monarchs Matter, Cynthia Zhang, United States: Protecting the monarch butterfly by raising awareness through community workshops and international webinars, citizen science data collection, and planting native flora.
• Reforest AI, Bright Attai, Blessed Pepple, Lesley John Jumbo, Nigeria: Addressing climate change by combating deforestation with artificial intelligence that detects illegal logging and monitors forest health. 

Award recipients are invited to participate in the National Geographic Society's annual Explorers Festival in June, at which two additional awards will be announced: the Explorer Connection Award, given to the submission that draws the best connection to the work of a National Geographic Explorer, and the Slingshot Challenge People's Choice Award, given to the submission that receives the most votes from the general public. Voting for the People's Choice Award is open until May 31, 2025 and can be accessed here.

"As our planet faces unprecedented challenges, the Slingshot Challenge invites youth to apply their passion and innovative solutions to environmental issues across the globe," said Lara Littlefield, executive director of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. "We are proud to recognize and invest in these awardees on their journey to secure a thriving planet."

The Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients and Significant Achievement Award Recipients expressed a strong commitment to creating positive change. With projects stretching across six countries, these teens are creating a biodegradable alternative to plastic body wash bottles in Portugal, reducing waste by developing a replacement cartridge for LED light bulbs in India and scaling an easily-replicable upcycling process that converts orange peels into fertilizers in Singapore. By closely examining the needs of their communities, these award recipients identified pressing issues and crafted innovative solutions, turning their knowledge into meaningful actions to protect both people and the planet.

On a global scale, Slingshot Challenge alumni embody the attitudes, skills and knowledge that enable people of all ages to transform what they've learned into positive actions that protect our planet and its people. Since its inception in 2023, funding has inspired recipients to be curious, ask questions and seek answers to problems directly impacting their local communities.

"Through the tools provided to me by the Society during the 2024 Slingshot Challenge, my work restoring the oyster reef population in Mississippi has been amplified to audiences all throughout the world," said 2024 Significant Achievement Award recipient Demi Johnson. "I'm in awe of the knowledge and passions of other young environmental advocates, and I hope to inspire people to do their part in their community as we work towards a more sustainable future."

Interested teens and educators can sign up now to receive updates here ahead of the fourth annual Slingshot Challenge in the fall of 2025.

About the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation

Founded in 1988 by philanthropists Jody Allen and the late Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation invests in communities across the Pacific Northwest to enhance the human experience of arts & culture, center under-served populations, and mobilize young people to make an impact. In addition, the foundation supports a global portfolio of nonprofit partners working across science and technology solutions to protect wildlife, preserve ocean health, and create lasting change. The foundation also funds the Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, which works to advance cutting-edge research in all areas of bioscience.

About National Geographic Society

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content. To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.org or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.

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SOURCE National Geographic Society