Environmental Justice Video Challenge for Students

Funding Agency:
Environmental Protection Agency

Many communities face greater environmental exposures and public health risks due to a history of inequitable environmental policies and access to the decision-making process. Environmental justice (EJ) is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. 

EPA and partners have launched the Environmental Justice (EJ) Video Challenge for Students to enhance communities’ capacity to address environmental and public health inequities. The goals of the challenge are to: 

  1. Inspire students at accredited colleges and universities in the United States and its territories to work directly with communities in the identification and characterization of EJ challenges using data and publicly available tools, and
  2. Help communities (including residents and other stakeholders) address EJ challenges and/or vulnerabilities to environmental and public health hazards using data and publicly available tools. 

Phase 2 Submissions Due: Feb. 3, 2023

Agency Website

Eligibility Requirements

  • Open to undergraduate and graduate students (18 years and older as well as international students under the authority of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 102(2)(F)) enrolled in accredited institutions of higher education (including community colleges) across the United States and its territories.
  • At least one (1) faculty advisor is required to serve as a mentor to teams participating in the Challenge.
  • Only teams who submitted videos in Phase 1 are eligible to participate in Phase 2 of the Challenge.
  • There must be at least one (1) team member from Phase 1 who participates as a team member in Phase 2 of the Challenge. This is to help with continuity in cases where students graduate prior to Phase 2 completion.

Amount Description

For Phase 1, up to 10 prizes will be awarded. The top ten selected winners will receive
monetary prizes in the amounts noted below, and all the winners will receive recognition from
EPA and their co-sponsors.

Prize Distribution for Phase 1 Winners*

  • (1) First Place Prize of $20,000
  • (1) Second Place Prize of $12,000
  • (1) Third Place Prize of $6,000
  • Up to (7) Honorable Mention Prizes of $1,000 each

* NOTE: The total amount to be awarded will be dependent upon the number of submissions
received. The final amount of the monetary prizes for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place winners may differ if
the number of Honorable Mentions is less than (7) seven.

Funding Type

Prize

Eligibility

Grad/Prof Students

Category

Community Outreach and Engagement
Environmental & Life Sciences

External Deadline

February 3, 2023