YRE International Competition 2025-2026
Young Reporters for the Environment holds an annual YRE International Competition for young people aged 11-25 involved in the programme. This edition’s theme is Food Security and Climate Change. Find out more information and updates below.
Winning entries announced
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Winning entries announced 〰️
44 Awarded Entries
We are delighted to announce the 2025–2026 Young Reporters for the Environment International Competition Winners!
Congratulations to the winners! Your work showcases the creativity, critical thinking, and environmental commitment of young people from around the world.
🖼️ Explore the YRE Virtual Gallery to discover the work of the awarded Young Reporters. Read more about each of their entries here on Exposure.
A huge congratulations to all the young reporters, educators, families, National Operator teams, and everyone who supported the creation of these 44 outstanding entries. Your dedication, passion, and hard work made this year's competition truly exceptional.
We are incredibly proud to celebrate your achievements and share your stories with the world.
Meet the Winners
YRE International Awards Ceremony & Gallery Launch
On 15 June 2026, we celebrated the International Awards Ceremony of the YRE International Competition 2025–2026, bringing together students, educators, jury members, and members of the YRE network from around the world.
The celebration also marked the official opening of our YRE Virtual Gallery, showcasing the winning entries from this year's YRE International Competition. During this special event, we heard inspiring stories from the winning students, gained insights from members of the International Jury, and much more. But most importantly, we proudly celebrated the remarkable achievements of young environmental journalists worldwide. Relive the celebration by watching the recording!
Congratulations to all participants and winners!
Winners of the YRE International Competition 2025-2026
Article, 11-14 years
1st place: Scotland - Amellie Sophia McKay, The Loss of Wildlife in Our Gardens, view the entry
Article, 15-18 years
1st place: Bermuda - Zoë Mir, Eat ’Em to Beat ’Em: How Killing Invasive Lionfish Can Improve Food Security in Bermuda, view the entry
Article, 19-25 years
1st place: Slovenia - Teja Majzelj, Ana Mohenski and Ana Kravcar, Artificial Intelligence and Teamwork: Developing Prototypes That Support the Achievement of SDGs, view the entry
Long-Form Reporting Video, 11-14 years
1st place: Montenegro - Simon Max Scheider and Matija Hajrović, Don't Waste Food Scraps – Pass Them to the Compost, view the entry
Long-Form Reporting Video, 15-18 years
1st place: Türkiye - Ecrin Su Çengel, Selen Can, Yağmur Sivas, Nehir Ateşli and Beren Gülec, What If Your Food Was Grown Right Beneath Your Building?, view the entry
Long-Form Reporting Video, 19-25 years
1st place: Portugal - Luana Cardoso, Eco-cooks, view the entry
Also awarded: Theme Entry of the Year
One Take Photo
1st place: Slovakia - Vavro Kováč, From Apartment Blocks Straight to the Garden, view the entry
Also awarded: Photo of the Year
Photo Story
1st place: Mexico - María Guadalupe Peña Garnica, Living off Cane, Tezonapa's Progress Dilemma, view the entry
Staged Campaign Photo
1st place: Ghana - Samuel Adu Acheampong, Youth Action for Climate-Resilient Food Systems, view the entry
Short-form Campaign Video, 11-14 years
1st place: Türkiye - Mahmut Murat Pekdağ and Adel Sara İmret, The Choice Is Yours, view the entry
Podcast
1st place: Mexico - Lluvia Yazmín Ortega Segura and Wendy Viridiana Juárez Abarca, Aliens in Trouble – Vermiculture, view the entry
International Collaboration (Twinning)
1st place: Türkiye & Slovenia - Young reporters from The Private Çakabey Middle School of İzmir and Osnovna šola Železniki, Fish Wastewater as an Organic Nutrient Source in Microgreen Cultivation, view the entry
Special Recognition
Malta - Khrystyna Kucherenko and Yelyzaveta Gryazyuk, The Art Behind the Applause, view the entry
Greece - Theodora Blana, Christina Ladeni, Christina Thoma, Smaragda Igglezaki, Amaris Laci, Konstantina Konstantinou, Giannis Nikolaidis, Giorgos Karagiannis and Orestis Merkaj, A Mirror to Our Sea's Future, view the entry
Iceland - Hafdís, Daníela, Hrafna and Aron, Pollution of the Sea, view the entry
Ireland - Grace Cunn, Animal Farming, view the entry
Türkiye - Yiğit Ali Gülbahar, Arya Oktay, Asya Çeker, Galip Akyol, Beren Aliusta, Derin Otçuoğlu, Ekin Güneş, Müge Cebeci, İpek Derin Demez, Sena Sezin Çiftçi, Özgü Derin Tekin, Sude Naz Duman, Tanem Adak and Sevgi Gülenç, The Hidden Cost of Climate Change, view the entry
Montenegro - Andrej Milašinović, From Field to Table – Food Journey in Podgorica, view the entry
Mexico - Alan Martín Martínez Melendrez and Jorge Daniel González Hermosillo, Agave and Deforestation, view the entry
THE YRE Virtual Gallery
Step into a virtual space showing the YRE International Competition winners
Find out more about the “making of” the the YRE Virtual Gallery with MetaSteps here.
Shortlisted entries
The shortlisted entries are the submissions selected to move forward in the international competition. They are reviewed by both the International Jury and the Youth Ambassador Jury, who carefully assess each submission, provide feedback, and select this year’s winners.
Explore the shortlisted projects here
YRE International Competition Resources
To support participation in the Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) International Competition 2025-2026, a dedicated suite of educational resources was developed around the theme Climate Change & Food Security. These resources were designed to help young people explore the environmental, social and economic dimensions of food systems while strengthening their investigative, critical thinking and storytelling skills. Through practical guidance, classroom activities and competition support materials, the toolkit empowered educators and students to produce impactful environmental journalism and connect local food-related issues to global sustainability challenges.
COMPETITION THEME
Food security & climate change
We are thrilled to announce the launch of this year's international competition, centered around the theme of food security & climate change. Food systems are deeply affected by climate change and are also major contributions to it. Addressing food security is essential for achieving:
SDG2 Zero Hunger,
SDG3 Food Health and Wellbeing,
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13 Climate Action.
Food connects us all. This theme aims to inspire young reporters to explore the behind-the-scenes of food systems around the world.
2025/2026 Competition DeadlineS
Early-June 2026: Shortlisting and International Jury Meeting
Mid-June 2026: Announcement of 2025/2026 International Competition Winners
Find out more information about the YRE International Competition below:
What are the categories?
If you have any questions, please reach out to Sara, YRE International Coordinator: sara@fee.global