National Challenge 2026 · Pakistan

Young Climate Heroes Challenge

Find one environmental problem in your community. Lead real change. Become a Young Climate Hero. Open to students aged 7 to 15 across Pakistan.

Teacher mentors submit on behalf of their student or team.

16
Themes
7–15
Ages
Free
To Enter
Students leading climate action
Student-LedReal Climate Action
Top 15 FinalistsNational Recognition
Why Take Part

Climate learning that leaves the classroom

Most climate education stops at knowing. This challenge is built around doing, so students finish with a project they led, evidence they gathered, and confidence they earned.

Real action, not essays

Students pick a problem they can actually see, from plastic waste to water loss, and take a measurable step to improve it.

A teacher mentor beside them

Every project runs under a Teacher Mentor who guides the work and verifies that it is genuinely the student's own.

National recognition

The top 15 projects reach a national final, where three winners take cash prizes, trophies, and national recognition.

How It Runs

From registration to recognition

Nine steps, one clear path. Exact 2026 dates are confirmed in the participant handbook.

Identify · Plan · Act · Measure · Document · Submit · Present · Inspire
01
Register
02
Learn
03
Plan
04
Take Action
05
Collect Evidence
06
Submit
07
Top 15 Finalists
08
National Final
09
Awards
Choose Your Ground

Sixteen themes, one shared goal

Pick the theme that fits the problem in front of you. There is always room for another relevant local issue.

Climate Change Awareness

Help others understand a changing climate and how to respond.

Waste Management

Cut, sort, and manage waste in your school or street.

Plastic Pollution

Reduce single-use plastic and clean up what is left behind.

Recycling & Circular Economy

Give materials a second life instead of a landfill.

Water Conservation

Save water and stop everyday waste and leaks.

Biodiversity Conservation

Protect the plants, insects, and animals around you.

Tree Plantation & Care

Plant trees and, just as important, keep them alive.

Renewable Energy

Explore cleaner ways to power daily life.

Clean Energy Practices

Save energy through smarter everyday habits.

Air Pollution

Tackle the causes of dirty air in your area.

Sustainable Agriculture

Grow food in ways that protect the land.

Disaster Risk Reduction

Prepare your community for floods, heat, and other hazards.

Climate & Health

Address how a changing climate affects wellbeing.

Sustainable Schools

Make your own school greener and more efficient.

Community Action

Bring neighbours together for a shared cause.

Any Other Local Issue

Solve a real problem specific to where you live.

Who Can Take Part

Eligibility, in plain terms

Everything you need to know before you apply. If you meet the points below, you are ready to begin.

Category One

Individual Project

One student plans, carries out, and submits the project, guided by a teacher mentor.

Category Two

Team Project

A group of 2 to 5 students from the same school works on one project under a teacher mentor. One student is named team leader, and every member contributes. A team submits a single project.

You can enter if you meet all of these

  • You are 7 to 15 years old on the closing date, roughly grades 3 to 10.
  • You study in a government school or a registered low-fee private school in Pakistan.
  • You have a teacher mentor from your school.
  • Your project is an original climate action, planned and carried out by you or your team.
  • You complete and submit everything before the deadline.

Not eligible

  • Students under 7 or over 15 years of age.
  • College or university students.
  • Students enrolled outside Pakistan.
  • Projects completed entirely by teachers, parents, or other adults.
  • Previously submitted projects without significant improvement.
  • Entries with false information or fabricated evidence.
The Teacher Mentor

Guides students, keeps activities safe, verifies that the work is genuine, and submits the application on the student's behalf. The ideas, the project, and the presentation stay the students' own.

Parents & Guardians

Encourage participation, keep students safe, and give consent where needed. They support, but they do not complete the project or the submission.

How Projects Are Judged

Fair, transparent, evidence-based

Every submission moves through four stages and is scored against an official 100 point rubric.

Stage 1
Eligibility Screening

CCC checks that the applicant is eligible, the documents are complete, and the rules are met.

Stage 2
Technical Evaluation

Eligible projects are scored against the 100 point rubric. The top 15 become national finalists.

Stage 3
National Final

Finalists give a 5 minute presentation and answer questions for 5 minutes before the national panel.

Stage 4
National Winners

Scores combine to decide the three highest scoring projects, named as national winners.

Understanding of the Environmental ProblemIs the problem clear, and does the project explain why it matters and who it affects?
10
Project PlanningWas there a clear, practical plan before the work began?
10
Student Participation & LeadershipDid the students lead the project themselves, with guidance from the mentor?
10
Project ImplementationWere the activities carried out well, and were the objectives met?
15
Measurable ImpactThe most important criterion. What actually changed, shown with before and after evidence.
20
Evidence & DocumentationPhotographs, the project video, the report, and clear supporting data.
15
Innovation & CreativityOriginal thinking and smart use of local resources.
10
Sustainability & Future PotentialWill the benefits continue after the competition ends?
10
Presentation & CommunicationScored at the national final, for finalists only.
10
Total
100
70%Technical evaluation of the project and its evidence
30%National final presentation and questions
To keep the competition fair, CCC may verify any project by contacting the school or mentor, reviewing evidence, holding an online interview, or visiting in person. Projects must be original and genuinely the students' own work. False information or fabricated evidence leads to disqualification.
What Heroes Earn

Recognition that opens doors

Judges reward measurable impact, not big budgets. Recognition is designed to travel with the student.

1st
🏆
Champion

National Champion

PKR 20,000

Cash prize, champion trophy, certificate of achievement, and national recognition across the CCC network.

2nd
🥈
Runner-up

First Runner-up

PKR 10,000

Cash prize, trophy, and certificate of achievement.

3rd
🥉
Runner-up

Second Runner-up

PKR 5,000

Cash prize, trophy, and certificate of achievement.

National Finalists, Top 15Certificate of Excellence, the chance to present to the national panel, and priority for future CCC opportunities.
Every Eligible ParticipantA Digital Certificate of Participation for every project that meets the requirements and completes evaluation.
Why This Is Different

Not a competition of words

Most student competitions reward what you can say. This one rewards what you can change.

A Traditional Competition

Students write reports
Learning stays theoretical
Judged mainly on presentation
A single one-day event

Young Climate Heroes Challenge

Students create real change
Action happens in the community
Judged on evidence and measurable impact
Months of learning and action
Before You Begin

Questions, answered

Students aged 7 to 15, roughly grades 3 to 10, enrolled in a government school or registered low-fee private school in Pakistan. You can enter on your own or as a team of 2 to 5 students from the same school. Every project needs a Teacher Mentor.

No. Entry is free, and judges reward real, measurable impact rather than spending. Simple projects using local resources can score just as highly as large ones.

The Teacher Mentor submits the application on behalf of the student or team. This means no student needs an email account of their own, and one teacher can submit for several students.

Measurable impact, worth 20 of the 100 marks. Always show what changed because of your project, backed by before and after evidence.

A parent or guardian gives consent for each participating student, and the Teacher Mentor verifies the project. Photographs and videos are only used for non-commercial, educational purposes and only where that consent has been given.

The project and its story must be genuinely the student's own work. External tools may be used to check grammar or language, but this challenge is judged on real, verified action.

Ready to become a Climate Hero?

Choose your theme, run your project, and tell us the story of the change you made in your own school or community.

Apply Now

Teacher mentors submit the application on behalf of their student or team, so no student needs an email account of their own.