Photo Contest: Climate Through Young Eyes

Calling All African Photographers: Capture the Future of Our Planet!

The Pulitzer Center is thrilled to support AFRISOS African School of Storytelling and the Greenmanjaro Foundation in launching Climate Through Young Eyes, a photography competition designed to showcase the power of youth-led environmental action across Africa.

In a world where climate change threatens our future, this contest invites photographers of all levels to capture the beauty, urgency, and hope of sustainable actions through the eyes of young people. The best images will be awarded with cash prizes and exhibited at the Kili Kids Climate Festival in Tanzania (May 23-24, 2025), a powerful event that amplifies voices shaping a greener tomorrow.

Why participate?

• Win cash prizes: Awards up to $1,000. 
• Get published: Work will be featured in a high-quality photography exposition.
• Showcase your work: Winning images will be exhibited at the Kili Kids Climate Festival.
• Make an impact: Inspire action on environmental conservation across Africa.

Theme: Climate Through Young Eyes

What does the future of the planet look like through the eyes of African youth? We are calling on photographers to capture real-life moments of children and young people taking action for climate resilience. Whether it's recycling, tree planting, or growing food sustainably, we want to see stories that spark change and inspire a movement. 

Categories:

• Young Hands, Big Impact: Recycling for a cleaner world
• Growing Hope: Tree planting for the future
• From Our Gardens to Our Tables: Sustainable farming and food security

For reference on the kind of stories we are looking for, you can explore the investigative work and visual storytelling projects by Pulitzer Center journalist grantees. You can find examples of these stories here:

• Recycling:
  • "Plastic That Travels 8,000 Miles: The Global Crisis in Recycling"
  • "The Global Crisis in Recycling"
  • "How the Global Recycling System Collapsed"
• Tree planting:
  • "Tree-Planting Programs Can Do More Harm Than Good"
  • "Loss of Trees, Loss of Livelihood"
  • "What Ballooning Carbon Emissions Will Do to Trees"
• Vegetable gardens
  • "School Garden Programs and Food Security"
  • "In Kunene, the Rehabilitation of Long-Standing Community Gardens Cultivates Autonomy, but Food Insecurity Persists"
  • "Notes from Senegal. To Grow a Forest, Start With Carrots"

Prizes and recognition

• First place: USD $1,000
• Second place: USD $400
• Third place: USD $300
• Audience Award: $300 (public voting!)

What we're looking for

1. High-quality, original images that tell a powerful story
2. Photographs with real impact that show African youth in action
3. A fresh perspective on climate change: hope, resilience, and solutions
4. No AI-generated images
5. Overly edited or staged photos will be disqualified

How to enter:

• Follow @afrisos and @Greenmanjaro_Foundation on Instagram
• Entries close April 30, 2025
• Open to all African nationals
• Entry is free
• Submit your photos here

Join the movement!

This is more than a competition—it's a chance to be part of a storytelling revolution. Africa's youth are leading the way in the fight for a sustainable planet. Now it's time to capture those stories and inspire the world.

Submit your entry today and be a voice for the future!

Apply now

Questions? Email us at [email protected]

Top image courtesy of AFRISOS.