Submissions open for Environmental Student Action Challenge (Canada)

Deadline: 31-Oct-2026

The Environmental Student Action Challenge (ESAC) provides grants to Alberta students for student-led projects that investigate and address environmental issues affecting their schools and communities. For the 2026–27 school year, the program encourages students to identify a local environmental problem, research possible solutions, and put practical solutions into action. The initiative promotes student innovation, curiosity, environmental awareness, and hands-on learning. Students can receive up to $1,000 per student-led project to support environmental research and problem-solving activities.

About the Environmental Student Action Challenge

The Environmental Student Action Challenge is designed to empower Alberta students to become active participants in addressing environmental challenges in their own communities. Rather than simply learning about environmental issues, students are encouraged to investigate real problems, develop solutions, and implement those solutions through practical projects. The program combines environmental education with student-led research, experimentation, and action. Main Objectives of the Program

The ESAC aims to:

- Empower Alberta students to identify local environmental challenges. - Encourage student-led environmental research. - Support practical solutions to environmental problems. - Promote innovation and curiosity among students. - Provide hands-on environmental learning opportunities. - Encourage students to investigate issues affecting their schools and communities. - Support implementation of solutions to local environmental challenges. Funding Available The program provides grants of up to: $1,000 per student-led project The funding can support research and environmental problem-solving activities connected to the student’s proposed project. Students and teachers should ensure that proposed activities have a clear connection to investigating and addressing an environmental issue affecting their school or community. Who Can Apply? The program is intended for Alberta students. However, teachers are required to submit the formal application on behalf of their student teams. This means students take the lead in identifying the environmental issue and developing the project, while the teacher handles the formal application process. What Projects Are Supported? Projects must focus on investigating and implementing solutions to environmental issues affecting a school or community. For the 2026–27 school year, students can select an environmental problem relevant to their local area and develop a practical response.

Examples include:

- Auditing water usage. - Auditing energy usage. - Building rainwater capture systems. - Researching native plants for pollinator pathways. - Monitoring local water bodies. - Contributing environmental data to scientific databases. - Researching local environmental challenges. - Developing and implementing practical environmental solutions. These examples demonstrate the program’s emphasis on hands-on investigation and action. Student-Led Environmental Problem Solving A central feature of ESAC is student leadership. Students are encouraged to identify problems themselves, investigate the causes and possible solutions, and take action to address the issue. This approach allows students to develop practical skills while learning about environmental sustainability. Projects can connect classroom learning with real-world environmental challenges affecting local schools and communities. Water and Energy Audits Students can investigate resource consumption within their schools by conducting water or energy audits. These projects can help students understand how resources are used and identify opportunities for more sustainable practices. The research and findings can then inform potential solutions to local environmental challenges. Rainwater Capture Projects Students may also develop practical projects such as rainwater capture systems. Such a project allows students to investigate water use and explore ways of capturing and using rainwater as part of a hands-on environmental solution. Native Plants and Pollinator Pathways Another example is researching native plants for pollinator pathways. Students can investigate which native plants are appropriate for their local environment and explore how they can contribute to pollinator-friendly spaces in their school or community. Monitoring Local Water Bodies ESAC also supports projects involving the monitoring of local water bodies for scientific databases. Students can collect and investigate environmental information while contributing data that may be useful for scientific purposes. This type of project combines environmental observation, research, and practical scientific learning. Research and Implementation The program encourages students to go beyond identifying an environmental problem.

Projects should involve both:

- Investigation of the environmental issue. - Implementation of a solution. This combination helps students understand the relationship between environmental research and practical action. School and Community Impact Projects should address environmental issues that affect the student’s school or community. The local focus allows students to work on problems they can directly observe and understand. By addressing real environmental challenges, students can develop solutions that have practical relevance to their immediate surroundings. How to Develop a Strong Project Students and teachers should begin by identifying a clear environmental problem.

A strong project can include:

- A clearly defined local environmental issue. - Research into the causes and effects of the issue. - A practical solution. - Student-led investigation. - Hands-on implementation. - Clear environmental objectives. - Activities that can realistically be completed during the 2026–27 school year. - A clear connection to the school or community. The project should demonstr