Biannual award and mentorship program for under-25s concludes with four honorees
February 11, 2025, 12pm
The World Around is proud to announce the winners of its Young Climate Prize, a biannual mentorship and awards program for under-25s. This year, 25 finalists from 17 countries participated in the Young Climate Prize Design Academy, where they received mentorship and training from leading designers, architects and experts to help develop their projects.
From the cohort of 25, four changemakers were identified by a world-class jury for special acclaim: Mohamed Salem Mohamed Ali (23, Algeria), Blossom Eromosele (age 23, Nigeria), Amara Nwuneli (17, Nigeria), and Dayana Blanco Quiroga (25, Bolivia). Their initiatives include a farm addressing rising food insecurity in a desert refugee community, a stove that reduces indoor air pollution while generating power to energy-deprived homes, a youth movement mobilizing climate action across economic divides through the development of a community park, and a conservation initiative applying indigenous ecological knowledge to restore a polluted wetland reserve.
Awardees will each receive a cash prize and a trip to New York to share their work on stage at The World Around Summit 2025, presented this year in partnership with MoMA’s Emilio Ambasz Institute for the Joint Study of the Built and the Natural Environment. Tickets to attend the all-day conference in NYC are free and available now.
Meet the winners
Young Climate Visionary: Mohamed Salem Mohamed Ali, 23 (Algeria) mentored by Brendan McGetrick
The arid desert climate of Algeria’s Smara refugee camp has forced its community to rely heavily on humanitarian aid for their sustenance. As rising temperatures exacerbate the strain on life in this harsh environment, 23 year-old Mohamed Salem has developed alternative approaches to desert agriculture—including “sandponic” and hydroponic systems—as potential solutions to acute food insecurity. Through his combined farming and artistic practice, Mohamed is ensuring that his experimental garden, created with tires and found objects within the camp, won’t remain an oasis: The Nomad Garden is also the subject of a short film, which he made to inspire more refugees to cultivate their own crops towards the group’s eventual self-reliance.
Young Climate Designer: Blossom Eromsele, 23 (Nigeria) mentored by Katie Swenson
Nigerian architect Blossom Eromosele draws from her own life experiences to improve the lives of others. Her AllSpace Modular Home creates sustainable solar-powered modular housing for refugees. Crafted from recycled tarpaulin and aluminum, and drawing inspiration from traditional African huts, these solar-powered housing units are locally produced in Nigeria for just $120 each. This innovative solution combines tradition with modern technology, offering dignified shelter in a sustainable manner. The project also empowers refugees through job opportunities, developing cultural connections to their heritage, and fostering a holistic and sustainable method of support.
Young Climate Voice: Amara Nwuneli, 17 (Nigeria) mentored by Joseph Zeal-Henry
Preserve Our Roots is a Lagos-based youth climate justice movement founded by 17 year-old Amara Nwuneli. Under the trailblazer’s leadership, they group is transforming an underutilized plot of land in a low-income Lagos community into a first-of-its-kind park, creating a vibrant space for climate education, activism, and recreation. Built entirely using recycled or repurposed materials, Amara and her team—now 250-strong—are minimizing the project’s environmental footprint while aiming to maximize its social impact, with a broader vision to seed a network of urban green spaces in Nigeria—and a nation-wide movement of environmental stewardship.
Jury Prize: Dayana Blanco Quiroga, 25 (Bolivia) mentored by Sebastián Acampante
The Uru Uru Lake in the Bolivian Andes, an internationally recognized wetland reserve, has been severely polluted in recent years by waste and mining discharge from the nearby city of Oruro. Since 2019, Dayana Blanco Quiroga, an Aymara indigenous woman, and her Uru Uru Team have been adapting the ecological knowledge of their ancestors to restore the lake to health. Using collected plastic waste and harnessing the absorptive abilities of totoras, a native reed, the team’s efforts have so far reduced contamination levels in parts of the lake by up to 30%.
More information about these and the cohort of 25 under 25 is available on the Young Climate Prize website and YouTube channel. For press inquiries, please contact press[at]theworldaround.com.
