The World Around, the architecture and design nonprofit founded by curator Beatrice Galilee, today announced 25 finalists for the third cycle of its Young Climate Prize. The cohort of under 25s are paired with mentors including Bruce Mau, Paola Antonelli, Walter Hood, and Tatiana Bilbao.
Launched in 2022, Young Climate Prize identifies and supports exceptional designers, inventors, scientists and organizers aged 13 to 25 whose work is confronting the climate crisis in their community. Drawn from 16 countries, 25 finalists will take part in a three-month academy combining individual mentorship with lectures and workshops led by influential figures from The World Around's community. The program culminates in a jury review, with three winners announced in 2027.
Together, the cohort reflects the extraordinary range and ambition of a new generation of climate leaders, working across material innovation, ecological restoration, public health, infrastructure, advocacy and education. This year’s mentors include Bruce Mau, Paola Antonelli, Walter Hood, Xu Tiantian, Tatiana Bilbao, Fernando Laposse, Al Borde and Fernando Frías.
Past winners include Mohamed Salem Mohamed Ali, who created a garden in the desert of Algeria’s Smara refugee camp; Pakistani cartographer and activist Namra Khalid; Sierra Leonean entrepeuner environmentalist Foday David Kamara; and Nigerian architect Blossom Eromosele.
Meet this year's finalists:
Protecting Public Health
Ariana Agarwal and Vivaan Chhawchharia, 16, India
Plas-Stick: A biodegradable material removing microplastics from water without electricity.
Mentor: Bruce Mau
Ahmed Sajidan Jarjis Rafsan, 23, Bangladesh
Three initiatives spanning flood-response health systems and repairable prosthetics.
Mentor: Daniel Perlin
Carla and Rareș Gheorghe, 16, Romania
Lichenary: Citizen-led air monitoring and moss-based filtration.
Mentor: Michael Wang
Denise Ayebare, 23, Uganda
BetterLife International: Climate-adapted farming with refugee and displaced women.
Mentor: Henk Ovink
Ryan Murphy, 16, Thailand
Air Pure Project: Affordable classroom HEPA purifiers made from local components.
Mentor: Jon Marshall
Sofía Méndez Roca, 19, Bolivia
PyroGel: A plant-derived hydrogel that slows wildfire ignition without toxic residue.
Mentor: Brian Butterfield
Inventing Alternatives
Carlo Charles, 25, Singapore
Flint: A rechargeable cellulose battery made from agricultural waste.
Mentor: Harry Pearce
Ella Csuka, 25, United States
Ecotune: Bio-based alternatives to petroleum-derived textiles.
Mentor: Paola Antonelli
Gauri Gautam, 25, India
Mycelius: Interior designs made from mycelium and agricultural and textile waste.
Mentor: Marc Benda
Janet Dete and Damaris Kuria, 25, Kenya
Queening Afrika: Transforming discarded synthetic hair into fiber for bags and home goods.
Mentor: Fernando Laposse
Rushil Hari Koppaka, 24, India
Alkamy Carbon: Adapting wastewater infrastructure to capture atmospheric carbon.
Rewilding, Restoring and Radical Repair
Bolesław Jacaszek, 18, Poland
Miejska Miedza: Converting university lawns into pollinator meadows.
Cléusia Cardina, 24, Mozambique
Restoring riverbanks through planting, community nurseries and recycled-bottle irrigation.
Mentor: Walter Hood
Pynbhairoh Snidvongs Kruesopon and Charlotte Khoo, 19, Thailand
Care for Coral: Youth-led coral restoration and coastal education.
Mentor: Tatiana Bilbao
William Tan, 15, United States
Build A Reef: Sensor-equipped artificial reefs and student marine-engineering programs.
Mentor: Ewan McEoin
Leadership through Culture
AJ Raymundo, 23, Philippines
On the Edge: Documenting fishing communities threatened by an expressway project.
Mentor: Fernando Frías
Cristhyan Jossias Beker Quintero, 18, Panamá
Bocas del Toro Youth for Climate Action: Bringing young and Indigenous people into climate policy.
Mentor: Ana María Gutierrez
Ema Poposka, 18, China
Making Waves Club: An international youth ocean-conservation film festival.
Mentor: Kyle Bergman
Robyn Camille Mijares, 25, Philippines
Grow School Philippines: The country’s first bamboo farm school.
Mentor: Al Borde
Veldesen Yaputra, 24, Indonesia
Amurta: Connecting traditional craft with contemporary products and exhibitions.
Mentor: Xu Tiantian
Sumaya Saidi, 21, Afghanistan
Hamra Green: A Dari-and Pashto-language platform for local environmental action.
About the Young Climate Prize
The Young Climate Prize is The World Around’s mentorship and recognition program for climate-focused designers, scientists and organizers aged 13 to 25. Finalists undertake a multi-month academy with individual mentors, culminating in a jury review and the announcement of winners. Young Climate Prize is made possible with support from Design Partner MillerKnoll, Initiative Partner Obel and Academic Partner Architectural Association.
