CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR ECOHEROES INITIATIVE 2025/2026 COHORT   

 

We are pleased to announce the call for applications for the 2025/2026 Cohort of the EcoHeroes Initiative, a flagship programme of the Green Growth Africa Sustainability Network (#GreenGrowthAfrica). 

Green Growth Africa is a UNEP-accredited non-governmental organisation dedicated to developing and implementing innovative “greened” socio-economic solutions to address Africa’s development challenges. Through the EcoHeroes Initiative, we empower young Africans to apply their classroom knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), and the Arts to solve environmental and social problems within their local communities. The initiative aims to nurture a new generation of 21st-century green workforce—young people equipped with the skills, creativity, and leadership to design solutions for today’s pressing challenges. 

The EcoHeroes Initiative adopts a co-creation and learner-centered approach, ensuring that students are active participants and leaders throughout the programme’s lifecycle. By tapping into the enthusiasm, creativity, and tech-savvy spirit of African youth, the initiative inspires them to identify environmental challenges in their communities, design innovative responses, and implement solutions that address both environmental and socio-economic needs. 

For the first time, the 2025/2026 Cohort—organized in collaboration with Nysmith School, Washington DC, USA—will expand its reach to include university undergraduates (aged 18–22) alongside secondary school students. This expansion provides a platform for deeper engagement with youth closer to the job market, helping to bridge the green skills gap, enhance employability, and foster scalable, tech-driven sustainability solutions. With a strong focus on digital innovation in sustainability, participants are encouraged to integrate technology into their projects and amplify impact through digital advocacy. 

We invite applications from students in secondary schools and universities across Africa to identify environmental problems in their communities and develop tech-driven solutions focused on these thematic pillars namely: Waste Management and Circular Economy, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (including Mobility), and Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Protection. 

 

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Benefits:  

Each selected team will receive;  

• Micro-grants of up to 200 USD to fund implementation of learning projects. 

• Mentorship from leading experts as technical advisors to refine project ideas and provide constructive support towards the implementation of the project.  

• Capacity development through curated training, hands-on project implementation, and international and local knowledge sharing. 

• Training of coordinating teachers on Education for Sustainable Development.  

• Certificate of participation for students’ team  

• Certificate of recognition for coordinating teachers and letter of recommendation for exceptional teachers.  

• Opportunity to share project outcomes with other secondary school and University students across the globe.  

• Leverage on the community, global visibility and publicity of #GreenGrowthAfrica and its partners to amplify your work. 

 

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Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be citizens of an African country
• Applicants must be aged between 11-22 years as at the time of application
• Applicants must attend a secondary school/university located in Africa
• Applicants must be able to speak and write in English fluently as the programme will be coordinated in English

 

In addition, please take note of the further criteria.

Secondary School Students: 

1. Student teams must be from Secondary schools in any of the African countries. Previous teams who have participated only once in past EcoHeroes Initiative cohorts are welcome to apply.  
2. Each secondary school will be represented by a team comprising of at least Ten (10) students and at least two (2) coordinating teachers. 50% of the students in the team should be girls (this would be waived for same sex (boys-only/girls-only) schools. However, more students are encouraged to apply.  
3. Each team is expected to identify any environmental challenges/ needs in their local communities, brainstorm and ideate tech-driven solution(s) to address this need/challenge.  
4. Only innovative and inspiring project ideas that are aligned with the four thematic areas of Waste Management and Circular Economy, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (including Mobility), and Nature Conservation & Biodiversity Protection will be considered. Project ideas must also express and give room for creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, inclusion of digital innovation components and other green skills. 
5. The project must be completed within 3 months.  

 

University Students:  

1. Teams must comprise 5-10 undergraduates (aged 18–22) enrolled in any accredited university in Africa. 
2. Each team is expected to identify any environmental challenges/ needs in their local communities, brainstorm and ideate tech-driven solution(s) to address this need/challenge. 
3. At least 50% of team members should be female (compulsory). 
4. Projects must align with one of the four thematic areas of Waste Management and Circular Economy, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (including Mobility), and Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Protection will be considered. Project ideas must also express and give room for creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, inclusion of digital innovation components and other green skills. 
5. Teams should demonstrate potential and capacity for scaling their project into a social enterprise or sustained community initiative. 
6. The period of project completion must be within 3 months. 

 

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How to Apply  

• We strongly recommend that you read our step-by-step guide on how to identify problems and ideate solutions before proceeding to apply.  

• Qualified and interested teams are invited to complete the online application here on or before 13 October 2025. 

• Please note that you will require the following documents to complete the application: 

1. Letter of Support 

• Secondary school student teams should provide a letter of support from the school’s management indicating the following:  

• an expression of support for the school’s team participation in the programme, 

• the commitment of the school to operate “EcoHeroes Clubs” after the completion of the learning project funded within EcoHeroes Initiative, and; 

• that the school has/will provide electricity and internet access; a projector, and a camera for quality and short video recordings.  

• University student teams should provide a letter of support from a reputable staff expressing his/her support for the student’s team participation in the programme, 

2. Pitch deck of your team’s project idea.  

3. Workplan outlining the activities and timeline for your team’s project idea.  

4. Proposed Budget. 

  

Please also note that:  

• Upon selection and completion of the projects with the support of an Expert Advisor, each student team will be required to share the outcome of their project through a local outreach which could be to other students in their schools, people in their local communities among others. #GreenGrowthAfrica will also organize intercontinental knowledge-sharing webinars where the students will share the outcomes of their projects, skills acquired, and lessons learnt.  

• Upon the completion of the projects and mentorship, each student team will be constituted into a school-based environmental club “EcoHeroes club” which could admit more students to sustain the project and continue to engage on education for sustainability in the long term. The schools will be required to operate and sustain the clubs. While #GreenGrowthAfrica will not be responsible for the operation and financing of the clubs, Green Growth Africa will provide technical support, monthly/quarterly meetings, as well as share possible opportunities with the clubs.  

• A workplan of activities for operation of the EcoHeroes Club, after the completion of the project funded within the EcoHeroes Initiative 2025/2026 will be submitted by each school/team. The plan should cover at least three months of club activities. These activities should be zero to near zero cost initiative such as quizzes, debates, community outreaches, school sanitation, tree planting activities, recycling engagements, amongst others. Please note that there is no format for the workplan of activities, however, it should be clear, and concise. The work-plan also should highlight how the club will be operated after the completion of the projects within the EcoHeroes 2025/2026.  

 

Deadline for Application: October 13, 2025