Growing Green Leaders

A Rotary led youth climate education and innovation challenge for the 2026 to 2027 school year.

The need

Young people care deeply about climate change, but most classrooms lack a ready path from learning about it to doing something about it. Teachers need curriculum they do not have to build, and students need mentors, an audience and a reason to finish. Growing Green Leaders was created to close that gap and develop the next generation of Rotary changemakers.

The project

Growing Green Leaders is a six month challenge that turns free, ready built curriculum into local climate action. Rotary clubs power it, experts judge it, and the finalists are celebrated together on Earth Day. Sign up is free for students and schools.

• Learn: five lessons from The Climate Initiative's Climate Action Leadership Program and CAVU's media toolkit, teaching students to tell their story on video.
• Mentor: local Rotary clubs serve as project mentors and advisors, with Interact and Rotaract clubs as the main participant networks.
• Compete: a high school video track and a track for college students, young professionals and Rotaractors, plus an optional Changemaker Award for a real community project.
• Celebrate: an Earth Day ceremony on April 22, 2027, with EarthX as the exhibition home for finalists.

Results

• Launched in fall 2026, with classes beginning in October 2026 and videos due March 5, 2027.
• Its curriculum partner, The Climate Initiative, already reaches close to 1 million students and more than 7,000 educators worldwide.
• The Rotary Climate Action Team brings hundreds of clubs across more than 90 countries.