Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Deadline: March 1, 2026
The Trust for Sustainable Living (TSL) 2026 International Student Competition invites young learners and teachers worldwide to share their ideas on how humanity can create a sustainable future for all. Organized by the Trust for Sustainable Living (TSL)—a global education non-profit committed to sustainability—the competition encourages students to express their innovative solutions and critical thinking around global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable development.
The 2026 theme focuses on “Empowering Youth for a Sustainable Future”, giving students the platform to explore how young people can contribute to creating a greener, fairer, and more resilient world. The competition is open to primary and secondary school students globally, and entries are judged based on creativity, originality, and impact.
Winners will be invited to attend the TSL International Schools Debate and Awards Ceremony, where they can connect with global peers, educators, and sustainability leaders.
Benefits
Participants and winners of the TSL 2026 International Student Competition enjoy numerous benefits, including:
- Global recognition for their innovative sustainability ideas.
- An opportunity to represent their schools and countries in the TSL International Schools Debate.
- Certificates of achievement for all participants and teachers.
- Cash prizes and trophies for top performers at the international level.
- Access to global sustainability networks and educational resources.
- An invaluable chance to build leadership, communication, and research skills.
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Eligibility Criteria
For the 2026 Competition, students are invited to submit no more than one (1) entry each exploring the theme of “Sustainability Culture”.
We are open to accepting any form of student response; you can choose to create a piece of artwork, music, a video, poem, essay, letter, story, etc.. There are no restrictions on the type of work submitted, we want students to be as open and creative in interpreting the theme as possible, however it must meet the submission criteria detailed below.
Accepted file formats: DOC, DOCX, PDF, JPG, PNG, MP3 or MP4
Maximum file size: 400MB (for any file type)
Word limit: Written entries should be a maximum 600 words (not including the bibliography and optional 150 word maximum self-reflection)
Duration limit: Video or audio pieces should be a maximum of 3 minutes long
The TSL 2026 Student Debates will take place in early July 2026
The theme of the TSL 2026 International Student Debates is SUSTAINABILITY CULTURE.
The exact dates of the Primary and Secondary School Debates are still to be confirmed.
Watch this space for further Student Debate announcements over the coming months.
Application Timeline
- 01 March 2026: The final deadline for entries is midnight UTC – all entries must be submitted on the TSL Submittable page)
- 01 May 2026: Announcement of International Competition 2026 Finalists & Honourable Mentions on the TSL website
- 22 May 2026: Finalists & Honourable Mention certificates available on TSL Certificates Portal
- 22 May 2026: The “Top 10” Finalists in the Primary and Secondary age categories will be notified via their Teacher Champions (using the Teacher Champion email addresses used to register for the Competition on the TSL Submittable page)
- End May 2026: Invitations for eligible students to participate in the International Student Debates will be sent to Teacher Champions, using their officially registered email addresses
- Early July 2026: International Student Debates – Primary & Secondary Schools – online
