Alberta is home to bright young minds, passionate educators and diverse ecosystems. Today's students will become tomorrow's problem solvers, action takers and community leaders who will tackle environmental challenges and create new solutions.
Through the Environmental Student Action Challenge Grant, Alberta's government is investing in Alberta's youth and enabling them to complete school-based projects that address and offer solutions for a student-identified need in their community. Thanks to this successful program, kids and teens in 11 different schools worked on 13 classroom-based projects to make a difference to the air, land, water and biodiversity in their local communities.
"The Environmental Student Action Challenge is a great program that inspires and engages students in the science they're learning in the classroom and putting it to use in a hands-on way to make a difference in the environment around them. We should all be inspired by these young leaders and all their hard work to keep protecting Alberta's environment."
Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas
Through this successful program, students not only learn about improving their environment but document the lessons they learn along the way and get to have some fun. A Celebration of Learning event was held at the Bow Habitat Station which brought students together to celebrate their successes and share their findings with peers, teachers, family members and the community.
This year's Environmental Student Action Challenge featured inspiring and creative projects in schools across Alberta, with students from kindergarten all the way to Grade 12. In Diamond Valley, students explored sustainable agriculture, while a group in Airdrie learned how to make the Nose Creek watershed a welcoming habitat and some Calgary-based students completed a project on water quality in wetlands.
"Being a recipient of the Environmental Student Action Challenge grant two years in a row has been an incredible opportunity for my students. The funding allowed us to turn big ideas into real world projects, such as designing a 3D-printed garbage collection device for Banff National Park and creating pollinator-friendly gardens while learning about sustainability. These experiences brought science, innovation, and environmental stewardship to life in ways that traditional classroom lessons simply cannot. I'm deeply grateful for the authentic, hands-on learning this grant has made possible."
Elyse Schlichter, grades 1 and 2 French immersion teacher, A.E. Bowers Elementary School, Rocky View Schools
Schools from across the province are encouraged to apply for the next round of funding when it opens in September to help foster the next generation of problem-solvers and environmental leaders.
Quick facts:
- Under the Environmental Student Action Challenge, 13 projects across 11 schools were approved in 2025 for combined funding of $13,000.
- The Environmental Student Action Challenge grant is co-ordinated by Bow Habitat Station.
- Schools across Alberta are eligible to apply for the grant each year.
Related information
