Announcing the Winners of the Summer 2026 Writing Contest
We are thrilled to announce the winners of the Earth Chronicles Summer 2025 Writing Contest!
Theme: Reimagining Our Future
We received an overwhelming number of submissions, all of which were impressive. After careful deliberation, our judges selected the 1st and 2nd place winners, along with four additional works to be published. Each selected work stood out for its creativity, passion, and dedication to environmental awareness.
First Place
Paris Gregoriou — Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Secondary School
Grade: 12
Title: Good Fire
Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card
Second Place
Hridoy Kundu — University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Title: What Grows After a Glacier Dies?
Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card
Additional Works to Be Published
- Kaayna Kataria — The Tide Keepers, Grade 9
- Ken Miyauchi — No Title, Grade 11
- Sara Ansari — The Ice Road, Grade 9
- Chinedu Abiaziem — The Salt-Stained Cradle, Grade 12
Congratulations to all the winners and to those whose works will be published!
Thank you to everyone who participated. Your work inspires us and shines a light on the importance of protecting our planet.
Deadline: August 22 [11:59 PM PST] 2026 – Closed
Theme: Reimagining Our Future
Requirements:
The future is not something that simply happens—it is something we create.
Around the world, people are developing innovative solutions to address some of humanity’s greatest challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity, and sustainable development. At the same time, communities are rethinking how we live, learn, travel, and connect with one another.
Write a short story centered around the theme of Reimagining Our Future. Your story should explore what a better future could look like and how individuals, communities, science, technology, or environmental stewardship can help make it possible.
You may imagine a future city powered entirely by renewable energy, a community restoring ecosystems with advanced technology, or a young innovator solving a problem that impacts millions. Your story may be realistic, speculative, or a blend of both.
The goal is to inspire hope, creativity, and action by encouraging readers to think about the role they can play in shaping a more sustainable, equitable, and thriving world.
Your story may be fictional, but your ideas should be well-researched and grounded in scientific or real-world possibilities.
Prizes:
1st Place: $50 Amazon Gift Card
2nd Place: $25 Amazon Gift Card
In addition, outstanding participants—regardless of their final ranking—may be invited to contribute as Featured Writers for Earth Chronicles, with opportunities to publish their work throughout the year.
The winning story will be published on Earth Chronicles.
Please review the Submission Guidelines carefully. Submissions that do not follow the guidelines will be disqualified.
See Previous Contest Winners
Nolan Clough The Coral Note
Francesca Howard The Daughters of Raintree
Leanna Lo The Exodus of Sundarbans
Matthew Heur Will We Table Nature?
Annie Son Nala’s Warning
Samantha Zilla Greenhouse Gas Doesn’t Seem So “Green” When You Think About It
Sierra Young Wake Up! It’s Time to Take Action
Seoyoung Min “Micro”-plastics; Macro Effects
Jiaming Lou Hoot Hoot: Who’s There?
Elizabeth Saia The Grocery Store Dilemma
Sarah Guan Our Prized Leader, Marie Curie
Tanish Parlapall Saving the Environment By Saving Food: How Solar-Powered Cold Storage Facilities Are Changing Indian Farming
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