Everything Growing Green Leaders delivers: goals, contest structure, timeline, and how every division is judged and awarded.
Lessons 1–3 of CALP as the core, no-cost climate module across participating high school classrooms, post-secondary programs, and Rotary youth, with the ability to offer a new understanding of climate change and action. Every classroom will also have access to TCI's free Learning Lab modules through their website, theclimateinitiative.org/learninglab.
Integrate Interact Clubs within the High School Division and Rotaract Clubs within the Post-Secondary Division as primary participant groups, with youth outside of these clubs also able and encouraged to participate.
Connect local Rotary Clubs directly to participating Interact and Rotaract groups to serve as project mentors, community advisors, and local supporters.
CAVU's free, 2-lesson video toolkit guides students in communicating their local climate solutions and crafting compelling stories through short-form video, preparing them to enter the Climate Innovation Challenge International Video Competition.
Offer high school video entrants an immediate pathway to local implementation through TCI's Changemaker Award: Student Edition; winners receive monetary prizes.
A public, media-covered celebration of student climate leadership and green entrepreneurship on Earth Day, April 22, 2027 — and a documented, repeatable model the coalition can grow every year.
Organized by grade so every age group has an entry point matched to its skill level, using existing free national programs wherever possible.
CAVU Judged Climate Innovation Challenge
Format: Students produce an original video (4 minutes or less) featuring their community-based climate solution to enter CAVU's Climate Innovation Challenge (CIC) video competition. Video submissions are due March 5, 2027.
Educational pathway: Lessons 1–3 (TCI CALP foundation) developed in collaboration with Rotarian John Mathers to build climate literacy, analyze local impacts, and design community solutions; Lessons 4–5 (CAVU Media Toolkit), technical lessons on storyboarding, storytelling, and video production.
Rotary activation and mentorship: Sponsoring local Rotary Clubs serve as project mentors and advisors, while Interact clubs and HS participants serve as built-in peer recruitment channels and student project teams.
Judging: Judged on CAVU's CIC video competition rubric by their international panel of judges, focused on creative media storytelling, youth perspective, and solution feasibility. Recognition: Cash prizes for top entries and global recognition in CAVU's Student Showcase, YouTube Channel, website, and more.
TCI's Changemaker Award — Action Bridge
Action Bridge — TCI Changemaker Award, Student Edition: For those students who take their project off-screen and execute it in their local community, submit their video and action project details to TCI to be entered in their Changemaker Award for cash prizes and global recognition on the TCI website.
TCI/RCAT Judged
Format: Advanced climate action proposals and storytelling showcase for post-secondary youth, college students, young professionals, and Rotaract members 18+.
Educational pathway: TCI CALP framework, plus optional CAVU storytelling toolkit.
Rotary activation and mentorship: Local Rotary Clubs provide professional mentorship and community connections, with Rotaract Clubs serving as key participant networks.
Judging: Judged directly by The Climate Initiative (TCI) and Rotary Climate Action Team (RCAT) Joint Panel, focused on project completion, local impact, and measurable sustainability and scalability.
Top prizes and recognition: Presentation at Environmental Xperience conferences worldwide, depending on region.
Program brand and website launch; sponsor recruitment begins.
Educator training webinars on The Climate Initiative's Learning Lab and CAVU's CIC curriculum; Rotary clubs adopt participating schools.
Students move through the 5-lesson pipeline in participating classrooms and clubs.
Students submit their video and action project details to TCI for the Changemaker Award and prizes. CAVU's Climate Innovation Challenge is entered separately by March 5, 2027.
High School Video Track entries are due to CAVU's Climate Innovation Challenge. Entering the CIC does not automatically enter a student in TCI's Changemaker Award.
All division entries submitted for review.
Panels drawn from the coalition review every division.
Student finalists exhibited at Environmental Xperience events in the United States.
Winners announced across all divisions in a public, media-covered celebration.
Each division is judged by a panel with at least one representative from the U.S. Green Chamber, Rotary, and the relevant curriculum partner (The Climate Initiative or CAVU). CAVU and The Climate Initiative also retain their own national judging processes for their respective competitions.
Cash prizes, certificates, and international recognition; a CALP training scholarship from The Climate Initiative; feature coverage with Media Partners.
U.S. Green Chamber sustainability certification; mentorship or internship placement with a Green Chamber member business; Media Partners feature.
Register as a student, an educator, or an Interact/Rotaract club today.