ThePrize
Applications for The Iris Prize 2023 open March 1st!
We award three grants each year in conjunction with a locally-delivered capacity building programmes and peer-to-peer mentoring facilitated by our Advisory Panel. In September 2022, we awarded the inaugural ‘Iris Prize’ to three outstanding individuals who best embody the spirit of the Iris Project – championing the protection and restoration of nature, and the rights of those who defend it. Meet the winners!
We recognise that nature restoration takes a variety of forms – from traditional land stewardship, to innovative technological solutions. As such, the ‘Iris Prize’ rewards new ideas and established projects, hoping to overcome the circumstantial barriers that too often prevent young people from being able to advocate for nature-related change.
All prize applicants are invited to join The Iris Project Ecosystem! A slack channel community which provides young people in our network with additional funding and capacity building opportunities happening all over the world. Apply to the prize to join the Ecosystem.
The prizes are structured as such, and awarded alongside a bespoke capacity-building programme for each of our winners:
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
Each year, our Youth Advisory Panel create a short-list of applicants for each prize, which is then assessed by the Iris Prize judges who select three winners. You can find out more information about them below.
Aliza AyazUnited Nations Goodwill Ambassador
Afroz ShahEnvironmental Activist and Lawyer
Melati WijsenChangemaker and Movement Builder
Kate RothschildIris' Mother, Environmental Philanthropist & Music Industry Executive
Wanjira MathaiVice President and Regional Director for Africa at the World Resources Institute
Elizabeth WathutiEnvironmentalist and Climate Activist
Dr Enric SalaNational Geographic Explorer in Residence
How to apply.
Applications for The Iris Prize 2023 open from March 1st until May 31st, 2023. Sign up for our newsletter to find out more!