CreatorsCircle - Balboa High School (San Francisco, CA): Most Educational

CreatorsCircle students were recognized for their commitment to peer education and community empowerment. Their group organized a hands-on garden workshop that brought together more than 20 volunteers to plant over 20 trees while introducing students to environmental stewardship through direct, hands-on experience. Students shared that Balboa’s school garden had long felt like a “hidden gem” on campus, with many students and even ecology club members never having visited it before. By connecting more students and faculty to the garden, the group hoped to spark greater interest in environmental action while demonstrating how collaborative projects can strengthen both campuses and communities.

Hampton Roads Academy (Newport News, VA): Most Collaborative

Hampton Roads Academy students stood out for their strong partnerships and collaborative approach. Their club partnered with the Mariners’ Museum and Park to help rewild a 10,000-square-foot plot of land by removing invasive crape myrtles and grasses and replacing them with native wildflowers and native grasses. Students coordinated with both external partners and their school’s maintenance team throughout the process, demonstrating how collaboration across organizations can strengthen environmental work. The resulting meadow will help increase biodiversity, provide habitat for local wildlife, and serve as a long-term environmental resource for the community.

North Penn High School (Lansdale, PA): Most Creative

North Penn High School students earned recognition for a project that blended sustainability, innovation, and creative communication. Their hydroponics initiative explored solutions to water scarcity, soil degradation, and agricultural pollution by demonstrating that hydroponic farming can use significantly less water while reducing fertilizer and herbicide runoff. Students collaborated to build and maintain five hydroponic systems, taking on everything from technology setup to pH calibration. Beyond providing hands-on learning opportunities, the project sparked curiosity across the school community and highlighted how sustainable agriculture can be both practical and accessible.

Red Oaks Forest School - Rewilding Lexington (Lexington, KY): Most Resilient

Rewilding projects are never easy, especially when invasive species are involved, and this group demonstrated incredible persistence throughout the year. Their project focused on restoring habitat for local birds and insects through native planting and invasive species removal. Students spoke honestly about one of their biggest challenges: invasive species continually returning and threatening to take over restored areas. Despite the difficulty of this long-term work, the group remained committed to improving biodiversity and caring for the land. We wanted to recognize not only the project's impact but also the resilience and determination required to keep showing up for rewilding work.

Red Oaks Forest School - Rooted ReWear (Lexington, KY): Most Engaging

The Rooted ReWear group at Red Oaks Forest School created an engaging project focused on sustainable fashion and reducing textile waste. Through their pop-up thrift shop and clothing swap efforts, students helped reroute hundreds of pounds of clothing away from landfills and into new homes. The group also found creative ways to reuse damaged materials by turning unusable clothing into stuffed animals. Combined with their strong community outreach and social media engagement, the project demonstrated how sustainability initiatives can become joyful, creative spaces that encourage widespread participation. Catch up on their journey here: @rootedrewear. 

Santiago High School (Garden Grove, CA): Most Community-Oriented

Santiago High School students were recognized for the community-building nature of their hydroponics and school garden project. The group installed hydroponic systems to explore sustainable food production while also revitalizing their campus garden into a more active learning space for students. As their hydroponic plants matured, students rotated them into the school garden and invited additional students to help plant and maintain the space. Their project became not only an environmental initiative but also a community-building effort that encouraged broader student involvement and environmental awareness across campus.

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We are incredibly proud of every participating group and grateful to all of the educators, students, and community partners who helped make this year’s projects possible.

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Ready to Launch Your Own Project? Want to Get Involved?

Walking Softer Education supports educators and students in designing impactful, student-led environmental projects. We proudly partner with both in-school and out-of-school groups, and are always looking to welcome more passionate young people into the fold. We provide ready-to-use lesson plans, project guides, and funding to help you bring a sustainability project to life with your students in your community. Sign up for the program.

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