ECO-HERO AWARD WINNERS
Alice Wanjiru
1st PLACE
Alice Wanjiru, an 11-year-old climate ambassador, has led efforts to rehabilitate Nairobi's Ruai Sewer Treatment Plant by planting over 2,000 trees, mobilizing community clean-ups, and successfully advocating for policies protecting communities from harmful emissions.
Nicolina Pappas
2nd PLACE
Nicolina Pappas, a 13-year-old from the United States, combats single-use plastic pollution through Nicolina's Turtle Co. She has raised over $15,000 for conservation, educated thousands, and successfully advocated for her "Skip the Plastic Campaign," leading to city-wide proclamations and state resolutions like "Skip the Plastic Day."
Availa Johnson
HONORABLE MENTION
Eco-Hero Availa Johnson, age 8 from Florida, is transforming plastic waste into fashion and promoting creative reuse. Through her EcoCreators Design Club, she inspires students to upcycle materials, educating thousands and saving plastic from oceans.
Priyanshi Poddar
1st PLACE
Priyanshi Poddar, 16, from Biratnagar, Nepal, is transforming rubber waste into comfort and dignity for underserved communities. Through her Saathi initiative, she upcycles discarded rubber into mats and clogs, benefiting over 4,000 individuals and preventing significant CO₂ emissions.
Bibhuti Bhattarai
3rd PLACE
Bibhuti Bhattarai, 16, from Nepal, empowers communities through "Girls Leading Organic Way." She teaches young girls and mothers to transform kitchen waste into organic compost, fostering sustainable farming and reducing reliance on harmful chemicals.
Eesha Ande
3rd PLACE
Eesha Ande, 16, from San Antonio, Texas, combats period poverty and plastic waste through her impactful sustainable menstrual hygiene initiative, empowering menstruators with reusable products and vital education.
Aziza Kennedy
HONORABLE MENTION
Aziza Kennedy, 16, from Alexandria, Virginia, transformed her school's waste management by establishing the "SJC Compost Initiative." Through unwavering persistence, she successfully implemented composting to combat food waste and reduce emissions.
Ana Lucía Pérez Escalera
DR. MARY GRIFFIN-JONES AWARD
Ana Lucía Pérez Escalera, 13, from Salinas, Puerto Rico, leads "De a Pokito por Puerto Rico." She educates over 100,000 people on environmental care and waste reduction through STEAM, hackathons, and legislative advocacy.
Ananya & Shyam Manikandan
FINALIST
Ananya and Shyam Manikandan, a brother-sister duo from the UAE, champion sustainable living through an innovative blend of short films, music, and community action, inspiring thousands to reduce waste and protect the planet.
Brandon Lin
FINALIST
Brandon Lin, 15, from Hillsborough, CA, is the founder of The ReCap Project, which recycles clean medical plastic waste from Bay Area health systems into usable items like clipboards, creating a sustainable circular economy.
Dylan Turzak
FINALIST
Dylan Turzak, 16, from Scotts Valley, California, is the founder of We Are Planet Protectors, an educational platform that inspires elementary school children through published books, free curricula, and engaging in-person activities to become lifelong environmental stewards.