PARTNERS
“The biggest challenge we face is shifting human consciousness, not saving the planet. The planet doesn’t need saving, we do.” — Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Artist and Activist
Teachers, friends, activists, scientists, leaders — there are countless heroes among us. Whether household names or everyday citizens, world-renowned or local to your community, someone you know or have only read about from afar, people are standing in solidarity with the planet, its species and people. Powerful, passionate, proud individuals across every sector dedicate their lives to tackling social and environmental injustice in our world with heart, innovation and commitment. In your eyes, what are the traits and characteristics that make someone an eco-hero?
Through Project Green Challenge, we seek to not only empower you with information, but also to introduce you to a diverse number of mentors, role models, and leaders engaged in positive change. We find eco-heroes in each and every one of our partners, honored to collaborate with and support mission-aligned work by companies, organizations, media, educators and activists around the world.
Anyone can be an eco-hero, regardless of occupation, age, gender or race. Many eco-heroes find themselves at the intersection of social justice and environmental justice, vocally advocating for both. As you have learned in PGC, environmental and social justice are deeply linked, and effective solutions for any movement must center equity.
Some of the world’s strongest, most passionate eco-heros are not even yet adults. Greta Thunberg is a 17-year-old Swedish climate activist who initiated the global School Strikes for Climate that has mobilized millions of students and the greater public around the world to demand change from leaders (and continues each Friday, now online!). Mari Copeny, also known as Little Miss Flint, is a 12-year-old activist who has fought for clean water in her hometown of Flint, Michigan and across the United States since she was 8. Xiuhtexcatl Martinez is an indigenous climate activist and hip-hop artist, using his powerful voice on the front lines of a youth-led lawsuit against the federal government for its failure to protect the planet for future generations. Millions of young people marched for Black lives in the United States and all over the world earlier this year, raising our voices and standing up against police brutality, systemic racism and environmental injustice ongoing.
For every challenge, there are solutions. Whether one person or a collective of brilliant minds, we can bring about the change we wish to see. What does it take to be an eco-hero? Passion, dedication, and a bit of courage!
We have long been inspired by our partner organizations and companies, seeing their founders, leaders and teams as pioneering eco-heroes. Susie Hewson is one such powerhouse, the founder and owner of today’s partner Natracare — who developed the world’s first brand of organic and natural period products in 1989, after learning about the dangers of toxins and plastics. For Susie and all eco-heroes, the work never stops, always seeking new sustainable innovations to look after people and our environment.
So, who’s your eco-hero? Today offers an opportunity to discover groundbreaking individuals who are forging new paths toward a healthy, sustainable, just planet. We all possess extraordinary capacity to rise for people and planet!
Phenomenal souls are moving mountains against all odds, using their voices, minds, actions and resources to propel movements with a massive ripple effect. This is the power of one!
Check out current recipients of the Goldman Environmental Prize, an annual award (30 years running!) honoring grassroots environmental heroes for sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personal risk. Also check out the winners of the 2020 Brower Youth Awards, which recognizes outstanding and emerging youth leaders making strides in the environmental movement.
Pick one recipient who stands out to you. Tell us about their accomplishments and why they inspire you (150 words).
Post an inspiring quote from that person on Instagram. Use the “Create” mode in Instagram or any other app to make the graphic with their words. Be sure to attribute it correctly in the image. Tag @TurningGreenOrg, the handle of the person or that of an affiliated organization, whichever organization honored them, and #PGC2020.
And don’t forget to join the 2020 PGC Facebook group. You’ll need it for today’s Greenest Challenge!
Upload a PDF document with your responses and a screenshot of your social media post. Please include your name (or team name), username, email address, and school.
Submission Guidelines
Eco-heroes in our communities and across the globe are stepping up every day, every hour, every minute to effect change. That is how it has always been and will always be; a source of hope for our future!
Whether in a local, national or global context, who is a person that you would name an eco-hero? Identify a person you admire, get to know their story, and introduce them to us. Approach this challenge as if you were writing a story for a campus newspaper, major press outlet, or favorite blog.
If you were to meet this person, what would you share about how they have impacted you? See if you can find an email, social media handle or mailing address for your hero to tell them how they have inspired you. We all need and deserve recognition and support in our journeys!
Post a photo of that person in action with a brief caption on Instagram about why this eco-hero inspires you, tagging @TurningGreenOrg, the person and #PGC2020.
Upload a PDF document with your responses and a screenshot of your social media post. Please include your name (or team name), username, email address, and school.
Submission Guidelines
Do you consider yourself a hero? We do! Throughout this month of PGC, you have shown us the remarkable power you possess to change the world, one step at a time. Sometimes we are reluctant to acknowledge our own capacity and power, but you deserve to recognize that incredible impact! We need more leaders like you to empower others and propel us toward a just, healthy, resilient present and future. It’s time to honor and recognize your fellow eco-heroes: the outstanding participants of PGC 2020!
Be sure you’ve joined the 2020 PGC Facebook Group. Reach out to one fellow participant who you do not know to write an eco-hero profile.
Feel free to ask anything you’d like — with respect, of course. Below are a few ideas to spark dialogue. Coordinate a time to have the conversation by phone or video chat and record it, so you can get accurate quotes to write the profile.
Write an insightful and inspiring blog post about your fellow eco-hero. Be sure to include their name, photo, hometown, school and what you learned about them that you wish to share. Include your favorite quotes from the conversation, as well as at least one example of their PGC submissions that you love (which you can pull from their social media account or get directly). We will select two stellar submissions to post on the TG blog!
Post a portion or all of the profile on Instagram, tagging @TurningGreenOrg, your new eco-hero and #PGC2020. We can’t wait to see how you further inspire each other and us!
Upload a PDF document with your responses and a screenshot of your social media post. Please include your name (or team name), username, email address, and school.
Submission Guidelines
Up to 10 Greener and 10 Greenest outstanding submissions will be selected as winners.
Each Greenest Winner will receive:
