The theme of the 2023 International Student Essay Competition was GREEN JOBS.

Recognition is growing globally that young people want to work in roles which benefit society and the planet, and work for businesses which are environmentally sustainable. However, research has shown that many young people are unsure know how to turn their passion into careers, and employers are already encountering green skills shortages.

Students (primary age 7-11 and secondary age 12-18) were invited to write an essay outlining their ideas on “How can young people be better supported to thrive in green jobs?”

This year, we received 1,215 essay entries from 65 countries and the top 10 winners were announced at the Awards Ceremony.  See the winners below.

Primary Essay Competition Results

Ahel Saha age 9 from King’s College School, Cambridge, UK is the recipient of this year’s first place primary award. Ahel’s essay highlighted several ways to support young people through their learning years through collaboration between school, parents, community, government, charitable organisations and universities. Ideas which impressed the judges included: opportunities to plan and execute green projects in school; extending the curriculum to learn about theories of sustainable living; planning for green jobs, and creation of apprenticeships and taster sessions.

The top prize winners are listed in the table below. See our full list of awards here.

Secondary Essay Competition Results

The 1st Prize secondary and overall Grand Prize winner was Alexander Kameoka from Fukuoka International School in Japan. The judges were impressed by Alex’s essay, which focused on removing key barriers faced by young people trying to get green jobs – including lack of capital, lack of skills and lack of knowledge.

Here are the top prize winners for this category.