We invite young people from 18 to 29 years old to share a transformative story of how we can live and thrive together with Nature. Submit your story supported by your photo or handmade art — something you’ve created by hand using pencils, crayons, paintbrushes, and similar tools.

Share a personal experience in your region that is important to you or had an impact on you related to one or several of the following topics:

• Being climate resilient,
• Applying solutions that work with nature,
• Finding ways of restoring relationships with nature,
• Reconnecting to (human and non-human) communities around us.

Stories and art have the potential to create meaningful connections and provide insights and inspirations about living in harmony with nature and the communities around us. Stories can engage us in a felt experience moving beyond abstract concepts of climate change and transformation helping us relate to current issues in a deep, personal way. Stories and art can stimulate surprise, wonder, courage and hope — ingredients we desperately need to adequately respond to the challenges of today.

The Gathering Voices of the Youth: Transformative Storytelling Contest is an NBRACER initiative that aims to understand and give a voice to the values and perceptions of young people to support more inclusive and collaborative approaches to current social-ecological challenges.

Submit your story supported by your photo or hand-made artwork by June 3rd, 2025

The short personal story (max 300 words) should be accompanied by a photo or hand-made art (created by hand using pencils, crayons, paintbrushes, and/or other similar tools) related to the story. The story and hand drawing, painting or photo should be of the applicant’s authorship.

AI submissions will not be considered. Please carefully read the image requirements before you submit.

The stories and accompanying artworks and photos will be evaluated by an international jury composed of experienced researchers and practitioners in the fields of sustainability, climate resilience, nature-based solutions and design. Particular attention will be paid to:

1. The ability to communicate a personal experience, a feeling or a practice through a story ;
2. The originality, visual impact, technique, and ability to communicate a message through an illustration or photo ;
3. The adherence to the topics climate resilience, solutions that work with nature, and connection to human and non-human communities.

Submissions will be assessed in two rounds. The first round will award submissions that have been evaluated as excellent by the Jury, while the second round will select three winning submissions. The authors of three winning submissions will be invited to participate and present their work (online or in person) to a large international community at the 4th Global Youth Climate Summit at Klimatorium, Denmark.

The winning submissions as well as awarded submissions will be invited to publish an illustrated e-book with us.

• Julia Bentz, cE3c – University of Lisbon, Portugal
• Kiat Ng, cE3c – University of Lisbon, Portugal
• Megan Bickle, Climate KIC, Germany
• Ingrid Coninx, Wageningen Environmental Research, Netherlands
• Bertram de Rooij, Wageningen Environmental Research, Netherlands
• Sarah Lund, Klimatorium, Denmark
• Charlotte Rosenkilde Sørensen, Klimatorium, Denmark
• Jelena Ristić Trajković, University of Belgrade, Serbia
• Natalia Brack, Sustainable Innovation Institute, France

voicesoftheyouth@nbracer.eu