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ECO-UNESCO Clubs Ireland is Ireland’s environmental education and youth organisation. It is a Key Partner of UNESCO’s Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and promotes youth empowerment and youth action for sustainable development. One of our GAP commitments is within our Young Environmentalist Awards (YEA) programme.

The YEA is an all-Ireland environmental awards programme that recognises and rewards young people (aged 10-18) who raise environmental awareness and improve the environment through action projects. Since its inception in 1999, over 39,000 young people have participated in hundreds of communities across Ireland. Each year, the YEA reaches over 4,000 young people directly through the programme and many more indirectly through the awareness-raising element of the action projects developed by young people.

The Young Environmentalist Awards programme is a great mechanism for providing learners with the knowledge and skills they need to participate fully in society by encouraging them to see their potential as active and engaged citizens who can positively contribute to the environment, community and society.

This year, over 270 groups from primary and secondary schools and youth centres across Ireland entered their very innovative and inspiring projects to improve their environment and raise awareness about local and global environmental issues. A total of 80 finalist groups were invited to the Young Environmentalist Awards 2016 Showcase and Ceremony on May 18th in the Mansion House in Dublin, Ireland to showcase their brilliant ideas, which range from creating natural coconut oil deodorants to raising awareness about the environmental impact of denim jeans.

The Young Environmentalist Awards have been an inspiration to all and as UNESCO representative Melody Boateng from the Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences at UNESCO said: 'the future is in good hands with these young people’.

Well done to everybody who participated in ECO-UNESCO’s Young Environmentalist Awards 2016! It was a truly amazing year with all of you carrying out hugely inspiring and important eco-action projects.

For more information on the Young Environmentalist Awards programme please visit .