Pulitzer Prize winner Ed Yong will judge the free global competition for writers ages 13–19, open November 2 to 23, 2026
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., October 29, 2026 — An eye-popping hike above the tree line. A hand in the cold river. A hawk circling the school parking lot. Patagonia and Write the World today announced their third annual Environmental Writing Competition that invites teenagers around the globe to write about moving in nature - and being moved by it.
The competition is hosted by Write the World, a nonprofit online writing community of over 150,000 teen writers and educators in 190 countries. Entries are welcome in any genre, including personal essay, poetry, fiction, memoir, op-ed, and journalism. Writing may be set anywhere: mountains, forests, or deserts, coastlines or city parks, backyards or the vacant lot down the street.
"We want teens to express what it feels like to be in nature - to communicate how nature flows through us," said David Weinstein, Founder & CEO of Write the World. “When young people find words for that, they discover that protecting wild places also protects who they are."
Entries will be judged by Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalist and author of An Immense World, an exploration of how animals sense the world around them.
“There’s a time for listening to our elders, reading the classics, and a time for experiencing it, and writing about it, for ourselves,” says Brad Wieners, editorial director for Patagonia. "We love this contest because it prompts young people to get out there, have adventures of their own and come back with a story to tell. And how they connect with nature becomes a way to connect meaningfully with each another.”
Last year's winning entry, "To Dye For" by Diya Thennarasu, age 16, of California, was published in Patagonia Stories, Patagonia's creative journal. The piece explored how fashion leads to insights about the state of the planet.
The Writing Competition at a Glance
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About Write the World
Write the World, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded at Harvard University and dedicated to improving the writing and critical thinking skills essential for students to achieve success in school, career, and life. The organization offers free writing programs in a vibrant 24/7 community that’s served over 120,000 students and educators in over 125 countries. Beyond monthly writing competitions, the organization also offers college essay services, summer writing workshops, and educator resources.
Learn more at: writetheworld.org
About Patagonia
We’re in business to save our home planet. Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is an outdoor apparel company based in Ventura, California. As a certified B Corporation and a founding member of 1% for the Planet, the company is recognized internationally for its product quality and environmental activism, as well as its contributions of more than $240 million to environmental organizations. Its unique ownership structure reflects that Earth is its only shareholder: Profits not reinvested back into the business are paid to Holdfast Collective to protect the planet.
Inquiries can be sent to PatagoniaPress@patagonia.com.
Media Contact
For more information, or to arrange interviews with organizers or student participants, contact:
David Weinstein
Founder & CEO
Write the World, Inc.
Email: david@writetheworld.org
Phone: +1 617 947-0890