The challenge marks the largest youth outreach initiative in The Earthshot Prize’s history, reaching close to one million students through more than 15,000 schools across 24 Indian states, alongside an open digital platform accessible nationwide. It invited children aged 9 to 17 to move beyond environmental awareness and take practical action to repair and restore the planet.
Students submitted their ideas between June and October, focusing on five environmental goals: Protect and Restore Nature, Revive Our Oceans, Clean Our Air, Build a Waste-Free World and Fix Our Climate.
The shortlisted projects address a range of local environmental concerns, including air pollution in classrooms, food spoilage, river conservation, groundwater recharge, water quality and waste management. Among the innovations are a low-cost air filter that recorded a reduction in AQI from approximately 160 to 98 during testing, biodegradable, oil-free diyas designed to reduce pollution in the Godavari River, and a student-led paper collection initiative that gathered nearly six tonnes of waste paper for recycling.
The finalists will present their ideas, receive feedback and participate in workshops covering all five Earthshot categories during the two-day Children’s Earthshot programme in Mumbai. The programme will culminate in the Children’s Earthshot Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, 17 November, at the Museum of Solutions. Five winning teams, one from each category, will be announced, with each team receiving a US,000 grant to further develop its solution, expand its reach and create a lasting impact in its community.
The challenge brings together The Earthshot Prize’s mission to identify, celebrate and support environmental solutions, Alana’s commitment to children’s rights and participation, and Design for Change’s approach to empowering young people to create positive change.
Jason Knauf, CEO of The Earthshot Prize, said, “The extraordinary ingenuity shown by these young finalists demonstrates that the next generation is not waiting for the future to act; it is already building environmental solutions right now. As we prepare to host The Earthshot Prize Summit in Mumbai, these remarkable children remind us that local community action, driven by youthful optimism and determination, is vital to repairing our planet. We can’t wait to celebrate them in Mumbai for our biggest edition yet.”
Pedro Hartung, CEO of Alana, said, “Children have the right to participate in shaping the world they live in, not simply to prepare for the world they will inherit. The young people recognised through this challenge are identifying problems in their own communities, reimagining and transforming their reality through creativity, empathy and collective action. Supporting their efforts means recognising children as citizens and changemakers today, while creating the conditions for their ideas and contributions to be taken seriously.”
Kiran Bir Sethi, Founder of Design for Change, said, “When children transition from asking ‘Can I?’ to declaring ‘I CAN’, their capacity to transform their surroundings is limitless. Through the Feel, Imagine, Do and Share framework, these finalists have looked deeply at the environmental challenges in their neighbourhoods and taken courageous, practical steps to solve them. They are proving to the world that empathy combined with action creates unstoppable change.”
The finalists were selected through a two-stage evaluation process involving design professionals, educators, youth advocates and student representatives. Entries were assessed on the participants’ understanding of local challenges, creativity, practical implementation and demonstrated community impact.
Under the Protect and Restore Nature category, three projects have been shortlisted. Boond-Boond Sahejein, Bhavishya Sanwarein, developed by students at Jamnalal Kaniram Bajaj Trust in Sikar, Rajasthan, addresses rainwater accumulation that made the school playground muddy and unusable. Over more than 30 days, students installed a rainwater recharge system using pipes and a filtration pit layered with sand, gravel and stones. The system redirected rainwater underground and prevented waterlogging. The project reports benefiting 280 people and having been shared with more than 100 community members. Students plan to demonstrate the system at parent meetings and encourage other schools and communities to adopt similar groundwater recharge solutions.
Tiny Actions, Mighty Impact, from Kaligi Ranganathan Montford Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Tamil Nadu, addresses vehicle emissions, water wastage, plastic waste and declining green cover. Over 15–30 days, students established four student-led teams and a Carbon-Neutral School Dashboard to monitor environmental indicators. Their initiatives include reusing air-conditioner condensation water, segregating waste, collecting plastic for recycling and planting trees. The project reports reaching 23,000 people through school and community activities. The team plans to continue daily monitoring, expand student participation and sustain its tree-planting and outreach programmes.
SPARC – Sustainable Purification & Agricultural Runoff Control, developed at Brainz Edu World in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, targets groundwater contamination caused by agricultural runoff. Students built a low-cost, electricity-free filtration system combining bentonite clay settling with gravel, sand, zeolite, ferric oxide and biochar-based filtration. Developed and tested over 7–15 days using water samples collected around Village Chhilora, the prototype demonstrated reduced turbidity and improved water clarity. The project reports engaging 20 people, including local farmers and community representatives. The team plans to train farmers and village youth to maintain the system, introduce regular water-quality monitoring and explore deployment in neighbouring agricultural communities.
In the Revive Our Rivers, Lakes and Oceans category, A Diya for the River, A Light for Life, from Espalier The Heritage School in Nashik, Maharashtra, seeks to address potential oil and solid-waste pollution in the Godavari during the upcoming Kumbh Mela. Grade 8 students developed biodegradable, oil-free diyas using natural, food-based materials and camphor. Over 15–30 days, they tested different materials and refined their designs, producing approximately 200 diyas. They submitted 100 to the Kumbh authorities, who appreciated the initiative and accepted the proposal for consideration. The project reports reaching 1,000 people, with support from local vendors and priests. Students plan to work with the school, authorities and community to encourage adoption during Diya Daan.
Clean rainwater harvesting by installing a counterweight cover on an unused well, from Purva Madhyamik Vidyalaya Ghosiyar in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, focuses on restoring a disused well affected by rubbish and polluted water and exploring its potential for rainwater harvesting. Over more than 30 days, students worked with villagers to clean the surrounding area, repeatedly attempted to drain the well and safely relocated turtles to the nearby river. They also developed a low-cost plywood-and-bamboo counterweight lid prototype, demonstrating its opening and closing mechanism using water-filled buckets. The project reports benefiting 100 people, although the permanent well-cover system remains incomplete. Students hope to complete the restoration and develop the well as a rainwater collection resource for irrigation.
Sunday Mandali – Turn the Tide, from Sunbeam Suncity School & Hostel in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, tackles plastic and other waste along the Ganga’s riverbanks and ghats. Supported by Kudabazar Foundation, the recurring clean-up movement has operated for more than 30 days, mobilising over 150 Sunbeam students and more than 500 college student volunteers. Participants collect, segregate, weigh and map waste. The group reports collecting more than 800 plastic waste items and reaching 100,000 people. Activities have included clean-ups on both sides of the river and a Plogathon at Ravidas Ghat. The team plans to continue weekly drives and encourage schools and colleges in other cities to adopt the model.
The Clean Our Air category features three projects. PureVaYu: A Breath of Change, from National Public School, Yeshwanthpur, Bengaluru, Karnataka, addresses indoor air pollution in schools and homes near industrial areas. Students developed a low-cost, electricity-free filter using jute, activated biochar, bamboo silica, zeolite and cotton. Over 15–30 days, they tested different material combinations using a smoke-box setup and particulate sensor. Recorded readings showed AQI falling from approximately 156–160 to 96–98, while PM2.5 readings decreased from 98 to approximately 12–30. The filter was tested for ten days in a community hall and installed in more than four homes and the school. The project reports impacting 127 people and reaching 50,000 people online. The team plans further installations in schools, hospitals and community spaces, supported by affordable filter-maintenance materials.
Heal the World, from Mother’s Pet Kindergarten in Sadar Chhaoni, Nagpur, Maharashtra, responds to dust and vehicle emissions caused by more than 800 vehicles entering the school premises during pick-up and drop-off hours. Young students introduced two initiatives: encouraging slower driving and promoting FriendPool, a car-sharing arrangement among parents. Over more than 30 days, they used placards and daily interactions to encourage participation. They also developed Smoffler, a prototype exhaust-pipe filter intended to explore ways of reducing vehicle smoke. The school reports fewer vehicles, reduced visible dust and promising initial prototype results. The initiative reports benefiting 1,000 people. Students hope to refine Smoffler with automotive engineers and present the concept to transport authorities.
B-Air, Clean Air, One Small Space at a Time, from Jasudben M.L. School in Mumbai, Maharashtra, addresses stuffy air and lingering odours in enclosed classrooms and other small spaces. Grade 5 students developed a manually operated air-filtering device using a bicycle pump and a cartridge containing coconut-shell activated carbon, cotton wool and gauze. After several unsuccessful prototype designs, they tested the device inside a sealed box using incense smoke. Following 100 pump strokes, their air-quality monitor recorded an AQI reduction from 500 to 100, alongside a reported reduction in smoke and odour. Developed over 15–30 days, the project reports impacting 30 people, although classroom trials have not yet taken place. Students plan to conduct workshops in schools, refine the device and explore a sensor-enabled version.
Under Build a Waste-Free World, Decom POSSIBLE, from SSATN Panchayat Union Middle School in Ammaiyappan (West), Tamil Nadu, addresses mixed waste disposal, plastic pollution and the difficulties faced by sanitation workers. Students developed an alternative to polythene waste bags using old newspapers, jute handles and a moisture-resistant coating made from discarded crayons. Over more than 30 days, they conducted household visits, distributed the bags and established a school composting pit measuring 8 × 2 × 3 feet. Segregated organic waste was converted into manure within a month. The initiative reports benefiting 502 people and helped revive a previously inactive community composting centre within two weeks. Following the initiative, the local panchayat announced that separately segregated waste would be required for collection from 1 October. Students plan to sustain the practice through household composting and encourage neighbouring schools and panchayats to adopt it.
RE-Float: From Waste to Life Line, from Pokamura Higher Secondary School in Jorhat, Assam, addresses plastic waste and flood preparedness. A team of eight students developed a floating platform designed to hold essential emergency supplies during floods. Over 7–15 days, they collected and reused more than 300 discarded plastic bottles, experimenting with their arrangement and testing the prototype in water to improve buoyancy and stability. The project reports reaching 261 people, including approximately 250 community members, eight teachers and three School Management and Development Committee members. Encouraged by community interest in similar platforms, the students plan to continue testing and refining the prototype and work with local families to develop affordable models using reused materials.
Greenswap, from Vidya School in Gurugram, Haryana, aims to prevent usable paper from being discarded. Students launched a notebook and paper collection initiative supported by a developing online platform for swapping, donating and selling unused items. Over more than 30 days, they surveyed 563 students, raised awareness among 1,200 students and mobilised more than 700 participants. Through seven collection drives involving the school and corporate contributors, the project reports collecting approximately 5,990 kg of paper, of which 690 kg had been recycled at the time of submission, with the remainder undergoing processing. The team plans to continue collection drives, strengthen recycler partnerships, introduce participation rewards and expand the GreenSwap platform to additional schools and NGOs.
The Fix Our Climate category includes three projects. Cool Crate, from Satya Elementary School in Dhulka, Punjab, aims to help roadside vegetable vendors protect produce from extreme heat. Students developed a low-cost cooling crate using wood-wool pads and a small water pump. Over 15–30 days, they tested and refined the water flow, pipe openings and pad arrangement to improve evaporative cooling. The working prototype reduced direct heat exposure around vegetables. The project has reached more than 100 people and received positive feedback from local vendors. The team plans further trials with vendors, improvements to portability and water reuse, and wider adoption to reduce food spoilage.
Solar Bloom – Smart Care for Plants, from The High Range School in Munnar, Kerala, is a solar-powered automated watering system designed to prevent unnecessary water use. It combines soil-moisture sensors, two small solar panels and a water pump. Developed over 7–15 days, the design was tested and refined through Tinkercad simulations, which demonstrated that the system could detect dry soil and activate watering when required. The project reports engaging 30 people. The team plans to develop and test the system for use in homes, schools and resorts, monitor water conservation and encourage wider adoption.
Evapocool, from Bluebells School International in New Delhi, addresses uncomfortable classroom temperatures affecting approximately 300 students in Classes 3–5. Students developed Clay Ka AC, a low-cost cooling prototype using clay pots and natural evaporative cooling. Over 15–30 days, they raised funds, built the model at school and worked beyond regular school hours to complete it. The project reports 301 people impacted. The team plans to replicate the model in more classrooms, demonstrate it through school exhibitions and parent meetings, and promote lower-energy cooling solutions.
The initiative uses Design for Change’s Feel, Imagine, Do and Share (FIDS) framework, through which students identify challenges in their communities, develop ideas, implement solutions and share their experiences. Founded in India in 2009 by educator and social entrepreneur Kiran Bir Sethi, Design for Change has grown into a movement spanning more than 69 countries and regions, enabling children to address issues including environmental sustainability, inclusion, health, education and community well-being.
The Earthshot Prize was founded by Prince William and incubated in The Royal Foundation in 2020 for a year before becoming an independent organisation. Inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot, it aims to identify, support and celebrate environmental leadership and discover 50 winners over 10 years. Its Global Alliance includes founding funding partners, environmental and sustainable development organisations, and corporate members that support environmental action and the scaling of solutions.
Alana is a socio-environmental impact ecosystem dedicated to improving the living conditions of children in Brazil and around the world. Its work spans education, science, entertainment and advocacy, with a focus on children’s rights and policies affecting their present and future. Its organisations include Instituto Alana, Alana Foundation and Maria Farinha Filmes.
With India already home to more Earthshot Prize Winners and Finalists than any other country, including 2026 Finalists Mahindra Last Mile Mobility and Mahila Housing Trust, the Children’s Earthshot programme will bring the country’s emerging environmental innovators into the spotlight as Mumbai prepares to host The Earthshot Prize Summit this November. The five winning teams will receive funding to advance their projects, highlighting how solutions developed in classrooms and local communities can contribute to broader environmental progress.
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