The Earth Day Challenge Portal
Welcome to the 2023 Earth Day Challenge Portal. Please bookmark this page so that you can access all three parts of the challenge. The Earth Day Challenge is available NOW through April 26!
Challenge Overview
In the Earth Day Challenge, you will have the opportunity to learn about how issues like waste, energy, water, and transportation, affect the air quality and environment of your community. With this background, you will launch your very own campaign on an environmental issue you are passionate about. You will identify and propose sustainable solutions to this issue, communicating conservation strategies to your families, peers, and community. Open the Challenge Guide below to learn more!
Your Campaign will be judged on:
Sustainability Information
Does the campaign teach people something about air quality and the environment? |
Reach
Does the campaign effectively reach a large audience? How will you track outreach? |
Creativity
Did the campaign engage, inspire, and empower your school and/or local community in a unique or original way? |
Suggested Challenge Timeline
We suggest taking one week at a time to complete Part 1 and Part 2 of the challenge , and spending two weeks to complete Part 3 so that you have enough time to launch your campaign. To be eligible for prizes and a Sustainability Specialist Certificate, you must complete and submit all three parts by April 26!*See below for prize information and eligibility requirements.*
Week 1: Start and submit Part 1
Week 2: Start and submit Part 2
Week 3: Start Part 3 — finalize your Campaign Plan.
Week 4: Launch your campaign!
Week 2: Start and submit Part 2
Week 3: Start Part 3 — finalize your Campaign Plan.
Week 4: Launch your campaign!
- Keep track of your reach: How many people are engaging with your campaign? For example, if you organized a campus or beach cleanup, how many people signed up?
- Submit evidence of your Earth Day Challenge Campaign: This can be in the form of videos, photos of posters or volunteer events you organized, sign-up sheets, screenshots of social media posts, slideshows etc.
Challenge Materials
To be eligible for prizes and the Sustainability Specialist Certificate, you must submit all three parts of the Earth Day Challenge.
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Part 1: People and the Planet
How have humans impacted the environment? In this week’s challenge, you will get to choose from a variety of sustainability topics, such as transportation, waste, and energy, to learn about how they impact our environment and air quality. Click here to access Part 1 as a PDF Click here to access a “View Only” Document of Part 1. Google Account Users: Click here to access an editable version of Part 1. You will automatically be prompted to make a copy. |
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Part 2: Build Your Knowledge on Air Quality
How do transportation, waste, water, and energy impact the air quality and environment of your community? In this week’s challenge, you will use an online tool to analyze how human systems negatively affect the environment of specific communities more than others. Click here to access Part 2 as a PDF Click here to access a “View Only” Document of Part 2. Google Account Users: Click here to access an Editable Document of Part 2. You will automatically be prompted to make a copy. |
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Part 3: Launch an Earth Day Campaign
What is your vision for improving sustainability in your community? Time for action! In this week’s challenge, you will create a sustainability campaign plan to implement in your community. Then, launch your campaign to spread the word and become a sustainability leader. Inspire members of your community to join your cause! Click here to access Part 3 as a PDF Click here to access a “View Only” Document of Part 3. Google Account Users: Click here to access an Editable Document of Part 3. You will automatically be prompted to make a copy. Email your campaign materials to your Challenge Advisor or to energychallenge@seiinc.org. |
Resources to Start Your Campaign
Access the Campaign Toolkit to create an effective campaign with your school community. Our toolkit includes planning worksheets, slides and tips to promote positive social change.
SEE SOCial MEdia CAPTION TIPS
1.Make it your own!
As you use the social media graphics from the toolkit, be sure to personalize the captions by describing your favorite activities or fun facts you’ve learned from The Earth Day Challenge!
2.Think about your audience
Who is going to see your post? Classmates? Friends? Family? Teachers? Consider who you are targeting with your campaign and write a message that is tailored to your audience. For example, if teachers are your audience, you might want to emphasize what you learned in the challenges and encourage them to sign up for their class. Or if your audience are classmates, you might want to focus on encouraging them to participate in the challenge and change their behavior to help conserve energy.
3.Link back to The Earth Day Challenge website and tag people on social media
Encourage others to learn about air quality and/or your chosen environmental issue! Tag your school’s social media account to encourage them to share the message. At the end of your caption be sure to include the following:
Want to learn more? Take on the #EarthDayChallenge from @seisustainability for yourself at https://www.energizeschools.org/earthdaychallenge2023.html
As you use the social media graphics from the toolkit, be sure to personalize the captions by describing your favorite activities or fun facts you’ve learned from The Earth Day Challenge!
2.Think about your audience
Who is going to see your post? Classmates? Friends? Family? Teachers? Consider who you are targeting with your campaign and write a message that is tailored to your audience. For example, if teachers are your audience, you might want to emphasize what you learned in the challenges and encourage them to sign up for their class. Or if your audience are classmates, you might want to focus on encouraging them to participate in the challenge and change their behavior to help conserve energy.
3.Link back to The Earth Day Challenge website and tag people on social media
Encourage others to learn about air quality and/or your chosen environmental issue! Tag your school’s social media account to encourage them to share the message. At the end of your caption be sure to include the following:
Want to learn more? Take on the #EarthDayChallenge from @seisustainability for yourself at https://www.energizeschools.org/earthdaychallenge2023.html
Earn a Sustainability Specialist Certificate
Complete all three parts of the Earth Day Challenge and earn a Sustainability Specialist Certificate to boost your resume. Certificates will be sent via email through the Badgr platform, which you can add to your LinkedIn profile and share on social media. Click here to see how it works. Submit challenges at any point this spring to receive your certification.
Prizes and Prize Eligibility
The top three campaigns are eligible to win money for their school, classroom or club to continue supporting their sustainability efforts!
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2nd Place
$500 |
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Gift Card Raffle
Be sure to submit each part of the Challenge as you complete them so that you are eligible to participate in our Weekly Raffles every Friday, starting March 17 and ending April 21! We will randomly draw a winner from each week’s submissions to receive a $25 Amazon gift card. Only individual and small student group (2-5 students) submissions are eligible to participate in the raffle. The six raffle winners will receive their gift cards at the end of the Earth Day Challenge.*
* The 2023 Earth Day Challenge is open to all middle school and high school students, teachers, and administrators. Anyone that completes all three parts of the challenge will receive a Sustainability Specialist Certificate! However, to be eligible for the prizes, your school must be within San Diego County, Southern California Edison (SCE) service area, or the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), which includes: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, southwestern Solano, and southern Sonoma counties.
Be sure to submit each part of the Challenge as you complete them so that you are eligible to participate in our Weekly Raffles every Friday, starting March 17 and ending April 21! We will randomly draw a winner from each week’s submissions to receive a $25 Amazon gift card. Only individual and small student group (2-5 students) submissions are eligible to participate in the raffle. The six raffle winners will receive their gift cards at the end of the Earth Day Challenge.*
* The 2023 Earth Day Challenge is open to all middle school and high school students, teachers, and administrators. Anyone that completes all three parts of the challenge will receive a Sustainability Specialist Certificate! However, to be eligible for the prizes, your school must be within San Diego County, Southern California Edison (SCE) service area, or the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), which includes: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, southwestern Solano, and southern Sonoma counties.
Learn More About Air Pollution and Sustainability
These resources will help you complete the Earth Day Challenge and create an effective conservation campaign.
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Be inspired by these four youth climate activists as they share their stories about how young people can, and are, changing our future!
Read this article from the San Francisco Chronicle that explains why California ranks as the worst state in the nation for air pollution.
Watch this video to learn about air quality in the U.S.
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In this Youtube Short, young activists share how they want YOU to help make sustainable change.
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Partners
This challenge is funded by a grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and Edison International®
