Judging Criteria

Judging and Awards

The Canadian Jury reviews articles, photos, and videos in each age category. Awards are given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places as well as Honourable Mentions by the Jury’s discretion.

The Jury Members may assign a score of 0-5 based on how well the submission meets the five criteria listed below. Participants are encouraged to meet as many of these additional criteria as possible, to improve their work and chances of winning. It is not, however, compulsory to meet these criteria.

The International Jury members assess the entries on the YRE Competition Exposure page.

What do the Judges look for?

Composition i.e. form, structure, and quality

  • The submission has to be well structured and, in the case of articles and videos, cover who, what, where, why, when, and how.
  • The article or video has to have a beginning, middle, and end.
  • In the case of photographs and video, the photo/video has to be well-made technically and artistically i.e. well composed, of high quality, and impactful.

Fair, balanced and objective reporting

  • The submission (article or video) has to be balanced and fair in terms of representing different sides of an argument prior to offering a suggestion of potential solution.
  • The quotes used have to be from real, credible, sources.
  • Scientific or statistical reporting has to be accurate and supported by sources/footnotes.
  • The photograph or video is a fair representation of reality, and the subject or object has not been manipulated. Editorial alternations to photos or videos (including but not limited to colour, contrast, definition, shadows, highlights, cropping, leveling, etc.) are permissible, as long as these alternations do NOT alter the reality of the subject or object of the photo/video. 

Informative and well researched

  • The submission has to cover relevant historical, economic, social and/or political implications and possible consequences.
  • It has to make a link to the bigger global picture.
  • The solution presented has to be thoroughly explained, well-argued and justified.
  • The use of illustrations, pictures, supporting paragraphs, subtitles, etc., has to be thought through.

Originality, style, and independence

  • The piece is original in its scope or style i.e. has the participant picked a challenging topic or created an innovative or moving piece.
  • The participants have to leave the school grounds i.e. engage in field work and interview people in person as well as on the telephone, not just use or quote online sources.

Dissemination

  • Dissemination through minimum three media outlets/events including internal school channels.
  • Participants need to state the dissemination (type of media outlet etc.) that has been done. (The evidence to the media channels has to be submitted below the entry on Exposure for reference with links of dissemination and referring to specific SDGs.)

The Jury is at liberty not to award in the case of too few submissions and to give more than one award in the case of exceptional entries in one or more age categories. The Jury will also give points to journalistic and environmental aspects of the submissions based on their professional backgrounds. It will be scored from -2 to +2 points.

Meet our Judges

Ayoub Hammoudi‘s journey into the captivating world of photography began during his pursuit of a master’s degree in environmental studies. He recognized the potential to capture the beauty of the world around him and transition into professional photography. His focus extended across various genres, notably portraits, animal photography, and the exhilarating realm of aerial imagery.

Beyond the realm of photography, Ayoub’s dedication to environmental education has been unwavering since his graduation. He found his place within EcoSchools Canada’s program team, assuming the role of a bilingual program manager. Here, his dual passions for environmental advocacy and visual storytelling converged. With a fervent desire to make a difference, Ayoub aims to merge his expertise in photography with his commitment to environmental causes.

Galen Drinnan is a communications and media professional who graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University’s RTA School of Media in 2012. His professional experience includes working on film sets for TV shows, movies, and web series, digital broadcast platforms with Food Network Canada and HGTV Canada, and a wonderful five years as an EcoSchools Canada team member tackling newsletters, web and graphic design, and telling the amazing stories of students’ environment accomplishments across the country. He currently works as a video editor, producer, and business manager for musician and YouTube creator Andrew Huang.

Galen and his partner Allie currently live in eastern Ontario where they’re starting up their own local cut-flower farm and embarking on re-greening their surroundings with native pollinator-friendly trees, plants and landscaping. His downtime is spent with his hands in garden soil or snapping photos of the night sky.

Maggie Muzhi Chang is a poet, writer, and artist whose environmental journey started in first grade when she learned about deforestation of the Amazon in school. Since then, Maggie has led campus secondhand clothing sales for sustainable fashion, organized a UN Sustainable Development Goal training, and helped establish EcoSchools Canada’s Youth Advisory Council, leading her to be named one of the first WWF Canada Living Planet Leaders and a Top 25 Under 25 Environmentalist in Canada.

With a Bachelor of Environmental Studies, Maggie is passionate to be living her values to build an intersectional environmental movement and currently sits on the City of Toronto Climate Advisory Group and Natural Resources Canada Youth Council. She is particularly honoured to have had the opportunity to practice international solidarity working with Fairtrade Organic Café Femenino Coffee communities in Peru during the summer of 2019. 

Sumaya Sharif ‘s journey is not only marked by her passion for advocacy and mentorship but also by her steadfast dedication to personal growth and professional development. Throughout her career as an educator and work in social media, Sumaya has taken on exploring a new passion in environmental communications.

Recognizing the importance of lifelong learning, Sumaya actively engages in professional development activities to stay up-to-date on emerging trends and best practices. Whether through attending workshops, conferences, or pursuing further education, she remains committed to honing her craft and enhancing her effectiveness as an educator and advocate.

By continuously expanding her knowledge, refining her skills, and nurturing her personal growth, she empowers herself to make a meaningful impact on the world around her.

Vinh Le graduated with a degree in Environmental Design from OCAD U and won the interior architecture award in 2016. Instead of jumping into photography, Vinh and his partner Luca Campacci launched their own interior design firm, Level Studio Inc. 

As a student, Vinh joined the environmental journalism network by submitting photos in a “Young Reporter for the Environment” (YRE) competition about solving environmental issues in Toronto. He ended up winning the competition and it provided him with his first DSLR camera where his passion for photojournalism took off. Vinh is now an active sustainable advocate with YRE and UNESCO programs to educate, promote and protect our world.

When Vinh is not shooting for his clients, he is either working closely with Luca on interior design projects at Level Studio or learning the latest photography techniques to push his skills as an environmental photographer.