April 22, 2020 will mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the largest civic-focused day of action in the world. As student journalists and photographers, you have a special role in this upcoming day.

By writing or making media about environmental issues that you care about, you have the opportunity to raise awareness about important community issues and develop writing, research and interviewing skills. Much like Greta Thunberg, Jamie Margolin and Isra Hirsi, you can be a youth voice in media and the environmental movement!

During the first Earth Day in 1970, millions of people took to the streets to protest environmental ignorance and to make changes to build a cleaner world. Newspapers were a significant part of building up the scope of this day, as they reported on the many events taking place and educated people on environmental issues. For this upcoming Earth Day, you can join the movement by voicing your opinion on topics that are important to you and building environmental stewardship in your community.

If you want to try your hand at writing about the connections between food and climate change, then Earth Day Network has the perfect opportunity for you. Through The Scoop Journalism Contest, you can submit an original essay, podcast or video based on the following prompt:

″The world is starting to recognize the serious negative impacts of our food system on our planet, particularly those caused by intensive animal agriculture. How does climate change impact your community? What role do our food choices have in creating solutions to climate change?″

Interested applicants can submit to one of the three categories — essay, podcast or video — before 11:59 p.m. PST on January 31, 2020 in order to be considered. Winners will have the chance to receive a trip to Washington, DC to participate in Earth Day 2020 activities on the National Mall on Saturday, April 25.

For more details about the competition, check out The Scoop Journalism Contest website.

For more information about Earth Day and environmental journalism ideas, check out this “Menu” of Engagement and the Earth Day Network website.

Making media about the environment isn’t just something that you can do during the month of April, but something you can do year-round. Writers and photographers like you were what made the first Earth Day so impactful and what will continue to ignite change for years to come.