The Challenge
Conservation Isn't Just Something You Learn — It's Something You Do
The CoEco Student Conservation Challenge is an annual competition open to all students enrolled in a CoEco program. Students are challenged to apply what they've learned — not in a classroom exercise, but in their real community.
The winner doesn't just receive a prize — they earn the experience of a lifetime: a TEO Eco Safari in South Africa, where they will see conservation in action across some of the world's most extraordinary ecosystems.
How It Works
The Process
01
Read the Book
Students read their age-appropriate CoEco curriculum and engage with the Cooperative Ecology principles.
02
Take Action
Students identify a real environmental problem in their community and design a practical conservation solution.
03
Document It
Students submit a written or visual presentation of their project — describing the problem, their solution, and its impact.
04
Win a Safari
The winning student earns a place on a TEO Eco Safari in South Africa — experiencing conservation in action firsthand.
The Prize
An Eco Safari in South Africa
The winning student earns an all-expenses-paid Eco Safari experience with The Earth Organization in South Africa — one of the world's most biodiverse and ecologically significant regions.
Students travel alongside TEO field scientists and conservation experts, experiencing the work of environmental restoration firsthand — in the landscape where it matters most.
Past winners have described the experience as transformational — the moment their commitment to conservation went from an idea to a life's purpose.
Judging Criteria
What We're Looking For
- ✓Understanding: Does the student demonstrate a genuine understanding of ecological interdependence and how living systems work together?
- ✓Real-World Application: Is the proposed solution practical, grounded in the student's actual environment, and actionable?
- ✓Community Impact: Does the project have a meaningful positive effect on the student's local ecosystem or community?
- ✓Originality: Does the student bring creative, independent thinking to an environmental challenge?
Get Involved
Sponsor the CoEco Student Contest
Your support directly funds this program. Every contribution helps us reach more communities, restore more land, and protect more of the planet we all share.
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