Young Reporters for the Environment Competition (Canada)

YRE Canada is a national environmental education program that offers youth the opportunity to amplify their voices, raise awareness and advocacy on local environmental/climate issues through critical thinking, creativity and reporting.

Participants (aged between 11-18) investigate and report on environmental issues, and propose solutions, by using video, photography or writing.

Embark on a journey of creativity and advocacy as they invite passionate youth to participate in the Young Reporters for the Environment Competition. This exciting opportunity calls for innovative solution-based reporting through the mediums of writing, photography, and videography, focusing on pressing environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

Prize Information

• There are 11 grants available:
  • 1 Grand prize of: $5,000
  • 10 Runner-up prizes of: $1,000

Benefits

• Participating in the Young Reporters for the Environment Competition offers numerous benefits for youths:
  • Inspire: Empower others to act collectively. By reporting on environmental issues, you have the power to raise awareness and ignite action, contributing to real-world solutions.
  • Change: Become a leader of change! Embrace creative thinking and propose innovative solutions, fostering creativity and innovation skills.
  • Grow: Develop critical skills as you delve into research on environmental issues, identify solutions, and effectively communicate your calls for action.
  • Connect: Speak about global challenges through your local lens. Link your reporting and perspective to global threats that are experienced in your region. Embrace storytelling and cultivate a sense of environmental responsibility.
  • Care: Connect environmental issues to deeper impacts on well-being. Amplify the voices of youth regarding the consequences and threats of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution on health and well-being.

Eligibility Criteria

• The YRE Canada National Competition is open to entrants in two categories: ages 11-14, and ages 15-18. Article, photo, or video submissions must meet a few criteria. Pieces should:
  • Investigate solutions to a local environmental issue/problem based on this year’s themes of pollution, loss of biodiversity, ecosystem restoration, or climate change that have to be linked to a chosen Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).
  • Report on the chosen issue through an article, photo or video.
  • Students may submit more than one piece and can work individually or in groups of up to three people.

Selection Criteria

• Submissions must include the following:
  • The name of the author(s).
  • Their age on the day of submission to the National Competition.
  • The name of their registered school or group.
• The submissions must also:
  • Clearly describe how the work has been disseminated: The submission has been shared with the community through platforms such as events, classrooms, community newspapers, gatherings, and social media.
  • Be the correct length, size and format, etc.
  • Be submitted in written or spoken English, or have English subtitles in the case of a video.
  • Be focused on a pertinent (real and current) local issue. This year’s theme is Ecosystem Restoration, though submissions are not required to connect to these themes and can explore climate change, environmental pollution, loss of biodiversity.
  • Present possible and constructive solutions, using the knowledge of different local stakeholders or experts.
  • Be sure to include a credits section, footnotes, or a bibliography listing the sources of any images, video footage, music, or information not created by the students.
  • Include information about chosen Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), with explanation of how the submission addresses the link between the topic and the chosen SDG.

Application Requirements 

• Articles: The Article category aims to explore the historical, economic, social, and/or political implications of the chosen environmental topic through a written format. The article should show the link between local and global events, issues, and/or phenomena and include relevant, feasible, and constructive solutions to the environmental issues presented:
  • Written submissions must not exceed 1,000 words in length and may include illustrations and photographs. The source of all non-original illustrations and photographs must be given.
  • An article must be accompanied by a title of not more than 140 characters.
  • Articles must be sent digitally in Microsoft Word format.
  • Must include 1-3 images (photographs, illustrations, diagrams, etc.), each with captions of no more than 20 words. Sources for all images must be given.
  • Must include an introduction, body (supporting paragraphs) and conclusion and answer the questions of who, what, where, why, when, and how.
• Photography:
  • Option 1: One Take Photo: The purpose of the One Take Photo (previously called Reportage photo) is to tell a story through a photograph that truthfully and accurately captures the reality of a situation, event or issue. The photograph should be candid, i.e. not be posed, or manipulated. An environmental lens or perspective is required:
    • A single photograph must be submitted to the National Operator in JPEG or PNG format with a resolution of no less than 150-300 DPI.
    • A photograph must be accompanied by a title of not more than 140 characters.
    • Must have a description of no more than 100 words and a caption of no more than 20 words or only a description of maximum 120 words in total. The description and caption should explain the environmental link and/or solutions to issues presented in the photograph.
    • Must be technically and artistically of good quality. This includes composition, lighting, colour, sharpness, and subject.
  • Option 2: Staged Campaign Photo: The purpose of the Environmental Campaign Photo is to raise awareness of an issue, promote certain values, and/or inspire positive action through a photograph. The photograph can be staged, and the subject can be posed with the intention of sending a message to the viewers. An environmental lens or perspective is required:
    • A single photograph must be submitted to the National Operator in JPEG or PNG format with a resolution of no less than 150-300 DPI.
    • A photograph must be accompanied by a title of not more than 140 characters.
    • Description (optional) of no more than 100 words. The description should explain the environmental link and/or solutions to issue presented in the photograph.
    • Editorial alterations to the photo (e.g.  AI manipulation, colour, contrast, definition, shadows, highlights, cropping, levelling, etc.) are permissible, as long as these alterations do NOT alter the reality of the subject or object of the photo.
    • If applicable, facts, statistics, and scientific information must be supported by credible sources.
    • Must be technically and artistically of good quality. This includes composition, lighting, colour, sharpness, and subject.
• Video:
  • Short-form campaign Videos (Previously Environmental Campaign Video) aim to raise awareness of an issue, promote certain values, and/or inspire positive action through live images. The campaign storyline can be staged with the intention of sending a clear message to the viewers. Short-form campaign videos can take formats such as Instagram Reels, Tik-Tok videos, and YouTube Shorts:
    • Video should be no longer than 1 minute, excluding the credit roll. It must be filmed in portrait.
    • Must be accompanied by a title (maximum of 140 characters).
    • The format must be compatible with supported YouTube file formats.
    • The video must be of high technical and artistic quality, covering aspects like composition, lighting, colour, sharpness, and subject matter.
    • Sources used in the video must be cited either in a credit roll at the end of the video or with a separate ‘References’ list.
    • The short-form video should end with a clear call to action for the audience.

For more information, visit EcoSchools Canada.