The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes is a national award that celebrates inspiring, public-spirited young people from across the U.S. and Canada. Established in 2001 by author T. A. Barron, the Barron Prize annually honors 25 outstanding young leaders ages 8 to 18 who have made a significant positive difference to people and the environment. Every year, fifteen top winners each receive $10,000 to support their service work or higher education. For more info visit www.barronprize.org. Applications for 2021 are due by April 15th.
Below is a list with brief highlights on the most recent winners/honorees whose projects are related to protecting the Earth, fighting climate change and saving endangered animals:
Bill (age 18) founded an environmental education nonprofit that brings native fish aquariums into classrooms.
Topher (age 11) created a project to raise money and awareness to help save the sockeye salmon and other threatened fish in Idaho and the Northwest.
Isha (age 17) co-founded a diverse group of young climate justice activists.
Ethan (age 17) founded a nonprofit working to protect endangered fish using blockchain technology and machine learning.
Jaden (age 17) founded an alliance of youth activists working to promote climate justice, advocate for homeless youth, and advance the conversation around equity and inclusivity
Justin (age 9) helps to save frogs by addressing plastic pollution and protecting the world’s waters
Kate (age 10) wrote a book to tell her generation that advocacy has no age limit, and that kids can help save animals from extinction. She was also an honoree in 2019.
Kevin (age 17) co-founded a nonprofit that creates personalized action plans to help schools implement green initiatives to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Megan (age 17) founded a nonprofit that empowers and inspires young people to achieve urban sustainability through a gardening-based educational program.
Sofie (age 15) founded a platform to sell her original artwork in order to fund sustainable projects that improve girls’ education in developing countries.
Zev (age 17) founded a nonprofit that is building a mobile app — a niche social network to efficiently organize young activists regarding climate change.
Lillian (age 17) has created an early warning system to predict crop yields in every African country 3-4 months before the harvest using satellite imagery.
Madhvi (age 9) works to reduce plastic pollution and inspire others to do the same.
Sammie (age 11) created a project to recycle plastic caps into buddy benches — designated benches where schoolchildren can sit to signal they’re looking for someone to play with.
Chander (age 17) founded a nonprofit that creates urban farms in order to provide fresh food to underserved people.
