Each May, ECO-UNESCO, Ireland’s environmental education and youth organisation, hosts the ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards Showcase and Awards Ceremony to honour the outstanding green achievements of young people from youth groups and schools across Ireland and Northern Ireland. The National Showcase, open to the public, attracts hundreds of young people who get an opportunity to show their environmental project work.

“The young participants of the ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards programme concretely show what it means to act as agents of positive change and make a difference”, commented Walter Erdelen, UNESCO Assistant Secretary General for Natural Sciences in a special message of support to the young environmentalists.

Participants in ECO-UNESCO’s Young Environmentalist Awards have until February 2010 to complete their project in one of nine categories including climate change, biodiversity, energy, waste and transport. Once registered, ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards groups can avail of ECO-UNESCO’s advice and support as their projects progress. Registration for ECO-UNESCO’s Young Environmentalist Awards 2011 closes at the end of November 2010.

Teachers and youth leaders can register groups of 2-20 young people at www.ecounesco.ie or by contacting ECO-UNESCO at +353 1 6625491, info@ecounesco.ie.