This Earth Day, Bring Change to Your Community!
The 2026 Earth Day Challenge is an exciting opportunity for middle and high school students to inspire sustainable change in their community while learning about topics like air quality and water conservation. Challenge activities help participants develop leadership skills and can be completed as a class, in small groups/clubs, or even individually!
See below for an overview of the challenge and how YOU can get involved!
See below for an overview of the challenge and how YOU can get involved!
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Register
Register for the 2026 Earth Day Challenge by clicking the button below! You will receive a link to the Earth Day Challenge Portal, where you can access all challenge materials. Registration is recommended by April 1. |
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Participate in the Challenge and Run a Campaign
Become a sustainability leader in your community! By researching local and global sustainability topics, students will learn how people have impacted our environment and then use that knowledge to launch a sustainability campaign. All challenge materials are available in English and Spanish. |
Part 1: Energy and Power
Students will learn where energy comes from and how and why it should be conserved. Students will then practice calculations with power and energy in preparation for the energy audit. |
Part 2: School Energy Audit
Students will perform a hands-on energy audit on their school campus using a provided watt meter and handout. |
Part 3: Energy Campaign
Students will be guided through how to plan out and lead an energy conservation campaign on their school campus. |
Win Prize Money to Move Your Sustainability Vision Forward!
Campaigns submitted by May 1 will be eligible to win money for their school, classroom, or club to continue supporting the sustainability efforts started during the challenge. See below for additional prize eligibility requirements.
Campaigns submitted by May 1 will be eligible to win money for their school, classroom, or club to continue supporting the sustainability efforts started during the challenge. See below for additional prize eligibility requirements.
Grand Prize
Top Sustainability Campaign
$1,000
$1,000
Runner-Up Campaigns
Student campaigns that do not receive a grand prize but still make a big impact on their community, may be eligible to receive other prizes!
Student campaigns that do not receive a grand prize but still make a big impact on their community, may be eligible to receive other prizes!
Prize Eligibility
The Energy Challenge is open to all middle school and high school students, teachers, and administrators from March 2 to May 1. To be eligible for the prizes, your school must be within Southern California Edison’s service territory.
The Energy Challenge is open to all middle school and high school students, teachers, and administrators from March 2 to May 1. To be eligible for the prizes, your school must be within Southern California Edison’s service territory.
See Previous Earth Day and People & Planet Challenge Campaigns!
Students created campaigns to educate their communities on the dangers of fast fashion and pollution, to advocate for water conservation, and even to start a school garden!
Students created campaigns to educate their communities on the dangers of fast fashion and pollution, to advocate for water conservation, and even to start a school garden!
High Tech High’s student presentation on pollution prevention.
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High Tech High’s student presentation on the environmental implications of fast fashion.
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High Tech High’s student presentation on ocean acidification.
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Design Tech High’s Instagram post introducing their school community garden project to their peers.
Spearheaded by their co-leaders, Timothy Lee and Trinity Ly, Summit Shasta‘s Environment Club engaged in a four-day project to quantify their school’s waste sorting practices and educate school stakeholders on the importance of recycling and composting.
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Monrovia High School Environmental Club's Instagram post on climate change.
A comic strip developed by a group of students at Abraham Lincoln High that aimed to inform readers about air pollution and how we can combat it.
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East Bay Innovation Academy's infographic on water conservation.
Sam Huang, a Rosemead High School student, successfully spread awareness about how human activities impact the environment and urged their community to take action!
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Partners
This program is funded in San Diego County by San Diego Community Power with additional support from San Diego Foundation and Calpine Community Power. This program is administered by the San Diego Foundation. This program is also funded by the Edison International Foundation within Southern California Edison’s service territory.
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