Award Recipients
Learn about the broad range of creative projects from across the globe championed by local changemakers who are using their voice and ingenuity to tackle the planet’s most pressing environmental concerns.
2026 Top Honors Award Recipients
Restoring Habitat with Smart Rock
Naveen Dhar
A solar powered monitoring device that provides insights into the health of San Diego marshlands by tracking the presence of integral bird species across the ecosystems.
Lighting Paradox in São Paulo
Mirela Cruz
This solution is developing a solar-powered lighting system made from recycled materials to help bring light to different regions of Brazil.
S.O.S. Manatus
Brandon Miranda Alarcón
This solution is using a network of specialized underwater microphones to help captains avoid collisions with manatees in Colombia.
You want WHAT for Christmas?
Alex Webster
Mangroves are coastal forests that store carbon, protect coastlines, and fight climate change. Alex’s My Pet Mangrove program is making sure that these ecosystems remain protected.
Homes for Hornbills
Yanin (Proud) Tangkaravakoon
This solution developed a new artificial nest made from upcycled plastic to give hornbills a home in Thailand.
2026 Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients
Ecoengineering in Action
Kiefer Chow, Amelia Chow
Inspired by nature’s engineer the beaver, Ecoengineering in Action is building analog dams to mitigate forest fires and restore habitats.
Nsuo-Pa
Tahama Barajei, Kayla Kurt Prange
This solution is safeguarding rivers and their communities’ health in Ghana. Their initiative teaches rural students to make water filtration systems from recycled plastic bottles.
Lichenary
Carla-Ioana Gheorghe, Rareș-Răzvan Gheorghe
Lichenary is a youth-led initiative that uses lichens as bioindicators to measure air quality. In just six months, they’ve identified over 800 lichens and built a public air quality map.
Women for a Greener Cameroon
Cynthia Alanyuy
Women for a Greener Cameroon helps farmers plant native trees alongside their crops to protect biodiversity.
Madin’O: A Solution to Water Crisis
Eden Bonnec
Inspired by traditional pottery and local Martinque practices, Madin’O designed a gravity-based water filter that can be replicated anywhere.
2026 Significant Achievement Award Recipients
BirdieUP Canada
Anya Yang
BirdieUp Canada holds workshops with youth to upcycle badminton birdies into keychains.
Ciclo Verde (Green Cycle)
Sofía Ramírez
This solution turns an environmental threat into a solution by converting an invasive species into nutrient-dense compost.
Pollinated By You!
Ivan Rodriguez
Pollinated by You! is working to address declining insect populations by creating urban reserves for insects in empty lots and highway medians.
Mi Amiga la Tortuga (My Friend the Turtle)
Jhonny Wuquer Paredes Fajardo, Raphaella Larrea, Odalys Arellano
Mi Amiga la Tortuga (My Friend the Turtle) is championing environmental signage to alert, educate, and prevent roadkill incidences in their home of the Galapagos.
The Puppet Teaches the Planet
Aaliya Fatima Rizavi
This solution hosts puppet making workshops in northern India to encourage upcycling materials and reducing waste.
View how these changemakers will slingshot us ahead to a better world
2026 Slingshot Challenge Award Recipients
2026 Honorable Mention Award Recipients
See more amazing submissions that caught our attention on our Slingshot Videos for Change showcase.
2025 Award Recipients
New York, USA
Cynthia Zhang
Monarchs Matter is protecting the monarch butterfly by raising awareness through community workshops and international webinars, citizen science data collection, and planting native flora.
Tubli, Bahrain
Halah Noor
This solution project is reducing electronic waste by creating capacity-building resources for youth to campaign and take action in their communities.
California, USA
Mariela Cruz-Suarez
This solution project is protecting nature by preventing wildfires through youth-led citizen science and data mapping projects in Los Angeles.
Tena, Ecuador
Lila Seo Martínez
This solution project is protecting nature through a native plant restoration program aimed at increasing the biodiversity of pollinators in Ecuador.
Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Bright Attai, Blessed Pepple, Lesley John Jumbo
This solution project is addressing climate change by combating deforestation with artificial intelligence that detects illegal logging and monitors forest health.
Tennessee, USA
Cash Daniels
This solution project is restoring the ocean and reducing waste through large-scale dissemination of fishing line recycling collection tubes.
Singapore
Raina Lakhamraju
This solution project is addressing climate change in the Sundarbans region by incentivizing reforestation through carbon credit financing.
Noida, India
Aditya Raj Chopra
This solution project is reducing waste by developing a replacement cartridge for LED light bulbs.
Monterrey, Mexico
Mariana Ameyali Aguilar Gonzalez, Juan Pablo De La Cruz
This solution project was co-designed using a low-cost prototype that uses Peltier cells to extract water from humid air to combat the water scarcity challenges in Monterrey, Mexico.
New Bussa, Nigeria
Faruk Salisu, Abdullahi Ibn-Ishaq, Faisal Sa’id
This solution project tackles deforestation by pairing an innovative tree-planting initiative with a prototype biogas digester and raising awareness about using biogas technology in their community as a cleaner, more efficient alternative to firewood.
Singapore
Nainika Gupta
This solution project is reducing waste by raising awareness and scaling an easily-replicable upcycling process that converts orange peels from local Hawker Centers in Singapore into disinfectants and fertilizers.
Lagos, Nigeria
Naomi Inwe
This solution project encourages youth to tackle plastic pollution through upcycling workshops, clean-up events and social media by the Trash to Treasure initiative in the community of Ajegunle, Nigeria.
Porto, Portugal
Isabel Oliveira, Vasco Cardoso, Nuno Aroso, Maria Toga
This solution project is creating a biodegradable alternative to plastic body wash bottles by developing single-dose body wash capsules, reducing plastic pollution in the ocean.
Texas, USA
Sara Oliveros
This solution project is preserving the critical ecosystem of blackland prairie by raising awareness and providing a blueprint for how youth can create new community pocket prairies.
Juchitán de Zaragoza, Mexico
Mariana Lizeth Blas Vázquez
This solution project is a community-led collective organizing PET collection and awareness-raising workshops conducted in Spanish and Diidxaza (Dichazá) to address the critical issue of waste management in Juchitán, Mexico.
2024 Award Recipients
Philippines, US, Hong Kong
Noga Gercsak, Gabrielle Gervacio, Shradha Bista, Riya Zingade, Ishika Meel, Prithika Venkatesh
After meeting last summer at a coding camp for mobile apps, this team from across the globe is passionate about using code to solve real-world problems. They developed Mazah, a globally-designed app that helps minimize food waste to combat climate change.
Onitsha, Nigeria
Chidiebere Anigbogu
Chidiebere is passionate about leveraging science and technology to tackle climate challenges in Nigeria. He created TerraBox, a hands-on STEM kit that empowers children in his community to explore clean energy solutions.
Churumuco, Mexico
Ulises Yael Texta Ponce, Wiliam Artemio Texta Ponce, Diana Paola Ponce Nava, Perla Karina Ponce Gómez, Sasha Enriquez
This team is engaging youth in their community to form a network of active participation for protecting the endangered green macaw through monitoring, reforestation efforts, and community education.
Ericeira, Portugal
Marta Bernardino
Passionate about robotics and concerned about deforestation, Bernardino created Trovador, a tree planting robot that improves reforestation efforts in Portugal’s mountainous areas. The project unites technology and communities to change the status quo and leaves no site left to be restored.
Tapachula, Mexico
Evelyn Pinot
From a young age, Pinot showed interest and passion for the wildlife that inhabited Tapachula, Mexico. Pinot founded Polinizadores Urbanos (Urban Pollinators), an organization dedicated to the creation of sanctuaries for pollinators by cataloging and restoring native flowering plant species.
Mississippi, USA
Demi Johnson
Restoring Mississippi’s threatened oyster reef population through community education to create oyster gardens.
Arizona, USA
Adam Galicia, Devipadma Vanniamparampath, Kenneth Armstrong
Protecting wildlife and reducing waste by educating community members through an immersive virtual reality experience.
Mexico
Mario Chacón Franco
Protecting threatened bat species through the creation of a network of young bat researchers.
Tanzania
Magreth Manawa
Addressing climate change by promoting community-centered sustainable food production in Tanzania, Permaculture Food Forest.
Mexico
Anand Quintero De la Cerda
Protecting nature through storytelling by sharing soundscapes of wetland areas in Ensenada, Mexico, Escuchando el Humedal.
Nigeria
Uswat Ahmed, Ahmed Zakari, Victor Okonkwo
Exploring ways to reduce single-use plastic waste in schools in Nigeria.
United Kingdom and China
Thenuk Rodrigo, Yimei Liu, Simba Shi
Restoring the ocean by using artificial intelligence to monitor coral reef health.
Italy
Tommaso Furlanetto, Stefano Mazzini, Alberto Favaro, Mirko Callegher, Enrico Mariotto
Protecting nature and restoring the ocean by cleaning up waterways in Venice.
Egypt
Menna Sabry
Cleaning the air by recycling gold rice straw into paper products to reduce emissions from burning.
Pakistan
Aiyza Naviwala, Salma Haider, Rustam Khan, Eshaal Amir, Umme Kulsoom Rahimtoola
Reducing waste and improving community health by developing eco-friendly menstrual products.
2023 Award Recipients
Lahore, Pakistan
Abdullah Shahid
Abdullah Shahid is an ardent environmentalist seeking to unearth the alarming traces of poor air quality of Lahore and cite these to the public of Pakistan. Shahid is aiming to provide a no-compromises alternative to the norms of transport used by all to get to school to put into effect a chain reaction of cutting down one’s carbon footprint and hence being a part of a conclusive goal.
Hillsborough, CA, USA
Kayla Ling
Kayla Ling is passionate about addressing social issues like the climate crisis, racial injustice, and gender inequity with hope-based solutions like film, writing, and community conversations. Her latest project, #NoWasteNation, creates a platform on Instagram for creative waste reducers to unite through social media. She hopes that by highlighting the creative actions of specific community leaders, other community members will be inspired to reduce waste themselves.
San Luis Potosí, Mexico
Regina Gutiérrez
Foresta Vivero was created after the forest fires affected the San Miguelito Sierra in 2019. A group of students concerned about the situation worked to contribute to the restoration of the damaged ecosystem. They talked to experts about their ideas to make sure that they had a positive impact and their actions would not affect the environmental balance.
Lexington, MA, USA
Soren Goldsmith
Soren Goldsmith is an award-winning wildlife photographer and conservationist based in Lexington, Massachusetts. He uses photography to tell stories that promote the protection of local ecosystems and wildlife. In his most recent project, he employs motion-activated cameras, or “camera traps”, to capture photos of elusive local wildlife. By placing the cameras deep in conservation properties, he reveals the unseen animals that live in his town.
New Bussa, Nigeria
Oluwaseyi Aina, Ayomide Alagbe, Mercy Ojotola, Naimat Lukman, Nancy Nkili
Nancy Nkili, Ayomide Alagbe, Oluwaseyi Aina, Mercy Ojotola, and Naimat Lukman are part of the MESL School Environmental Protection Club (MSEPC) in New Bussa, Nigeria. The objective of the club is to enlighten its members of the need to protect our environment and identify ways they can contribute to protecting the environment.
Hermosillo, Mexico
Ana Paula Villalvazo, Victor Arvizu
A community-driven idea to protect the Sonora River in Mexico and human health, by creating an app that monitors water quality and alerts to mining runoff.
Toronto, Canada
Rinelle Francisco, Kathy Dong, Stephanie Yan, Milan Dechene, Kalashree Vyas, Michelle Zhang
Solution to raise awareness about climate change by building an environmental education course that introduces students to multicultural environmental perspectives and incorporates hands-on experiences and community projects.
Maine, USA
Maya Faulstich
Scalable model for schools to reduce plastic waste by using reusable dishes for sports team’s meals.
Utah, USA
Mara Lloyd, Sophia Moore
Solid research and development of a device to manage water use that can help protect nature in the Great Salt Lake region.
Istanbul, Turkey
Nil Koza Akarca, Duru Pamukçu, Yonca Ozturk, Ege Bilmece, Öykü Çalışkan, Ata Rüştüoğlu
Actionable and easy-to-replicate idea to organize a clothing swap at school and educate shoppers on the measurable environmental impact they are having by reusing clothing.
Culiacán, Mexico
Maricela Abigail Cháidez Beltrán
Breaks down information barriers for farmers by providing a digital easy-to-digest manual informing them on best agricultural practices to avoid erosion and other environmental concerns.
California, USA
Jade Melendres
Combating climate change by turning spent coffee grounds into paint.
KwaDukuza, South Africa
Tahirah Naicker
A multifaceted solution designed to safeguard a local marine protected area and human health by preventing sewage contamination through the use of solar energy and an alert app.
Texas, USA
Mieko Armellini
Idea that raises awareness of our convenience lifestyle and advocates for a shift in mindset and infrastructure that would help address climate change.
Florida, USA
Tiffani Gay
Inspired by the 2010 oil spill that impacted her community of the Gulf of Mexico, the video includes a proposal, prototype and model for how to use magnets to separate oil in the ocean. She helps bring this concept to a larger audience.
Follow the Slingshot Challenge on TikTok @natgeoslingshot | Questions? slingshot@ngs.org
Slingshot Challenge is supported by the National Geographic Society and Allen Family Philanthropies.
Photo credits (from top of page): Mark Thiessen