AIPH Youth Award

Apply to join the Youth Jury for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2026

AIPH and the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) are seeking people aged 18-35 with an interest in urban greening to join the Youth Jury for the AIPH Youth Award, which recognises the city greening initiatives that meet the needs of the next generation.

What is the Youth Award?

The AIPH World Green City Awards champion nature-oriented solutions that harvest the power of plants, and associated ecosystems services, to help address the major challenges that cities face today. The Awards invite cities worldwide to share innovative approaches to urban greening and their contribution to the global conversation on sustainable urban development.

The AIPH Youth Award is won by the entry that best inspires youth* and fulfils their needs for a secure, green, and healthy future. The Youth Jury is responsible for selecting the winner and runners-up of the Youth Award.

In 2024, the Joondalup, Australia’s ‘Climate Change Strategy’ won the Youth Award. Learn more about the 2024 AIPH World Green City Awards.

*for the AIPH World Green City Awards, youth is defined as people aged 35 and under.

Who are we looking for?

AIPH invites candidates who meet the following criteria to apply:

Relevant work or volunteering experience supporting plant-positive urbanism, urban nature, and related fields (including but not limited to urban planning, engineering, horticulture, nature conservation, community engagement, landscape architecture, and ecology)
Knowledge and experience related to more than one of the 7 categories for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2026
A desire to contribute to celebrating and improving urban greening
The ability to be analytical, think strategically, and be non-biased when reviewing
18-35 years old
Working knowledge of the English Language (reviews and subsequent discussions will all take place in English and therefore candidates must be able to read, write, and converse comfortably on the relevant topics in English)

Why join?

What is in it for you?

The opportunity to use your knowledge and experience to influence the outcomes of the AIPH World Green City Awards 2026 Youth Award.
Raise your professional profile by joining an international network of like-minded people.
Capacity-building experience of participating in an international collaboration.
Learn from impactful and innovative projects and people from across the globe.
An official certificate, and publicity, acknowledging your participation in the AIPH Youth Jury 2026.

We particularly welcome applications from people representing communities typically underrepresented in urban nature and city decision-making, e.g. indigenous peoples.

Candidate applications will be assessed on the criteria listed above. Jury members will be selected on the strength of their application and with consideration to the overall constitution of the Youth Jury.

All applicants will be informed of the result of their application by April 30, 2026. Please do not contact us regarding the progress of your application before this date.

NB: This is a voluntary role for which no payment is offered. The Youth Jury will be promoted on the AIPH website and in associated media announcements.

Successful applicants will need to have access to a stable internet connection to review entries and to participate in group calls.

Deadline to apply is January 19, 2026 at 17:00 GMT

Apply Now

What Will the Youth Jury Do?

The Youth Jury will select the top entry most likely to inspire the youth and fulfil their needs for a secure, healthy future.

The Youth Jury will assess the 21 finalist entries to select the winner and runners up of the AIPH Youth Award.

The Youth Jury will comprise 12-15 members. Each youth jury member will:

Undertake an independent assessment of the 500-word summaries and 100-word motivations submitted by the 21 finalists in the AIPH World Green City Awards.
Review the full content of the three shortlisted entries for the AIPH Youth Award (to be undertaken in April/May 2026).
Commit to attend an initial online briefing meeting in March, and two subsequent online meetings of the Youth Jury to select the finalists and winner of the AIPH Youth Award in May 2026.

The time commitment is likely to be approximately two hours per week over five to six weeks.

The involvement of the Youth Jury in the judging process for the AIPH Youth Award is shown in the timeline below.