Abu Dhabi girls win $12,500 Earth Prize from ME region for AI-powered sustainability app

Abu Dhabi: Four girl students from Abu Dhabi have been named winners of the Earth Prize 2025 from the Middle East region in a global competition for gamified eco-education platform, which includes $100,000 in funding.
The ‘Sustainability Heroes’ team, comprising Israa Ashraf, Almaha Almansoori, Fatma Hussen, and Jourey Abdullah from a school in Ghayathi, triumphed with their AI-powered innovative app, EcoMind Academy, which integrates sustainability into education.

Aged between 15 and 17, the team is one of the winners selected from seven regions of the world and will receive $12,500 to develop and implement their idea.

Aiming to address the global issue of recycling inefficiency, they set out to tackle the crisis by making sustainability education engaging and action-driven. Their app integrates eco-learning into subjects like math and English through interactive challenges and rewards.

The project builds strong partnerships with schools and eco-conscious organisations, allowing educators to incorporate sustainability into curricula and enabling businesses to support green initiatives. Beyond the classroom, the app empowers communities through interactive workshops, sustainability events, and real-world eco-challenges.

Transforming recycling education

Ashraf, a 15-year-old Egyptian student and team leader, said the recognition as regional winners strengthens their commitment to transforming recycling education.

“With the $12,500 prize, we’ll focus on developing AI-driven tools, creating impactful educational content, and building partnerships with schools to inspire the next generation of sustainability leaders.”

She said that EcoMind Academy is more than just an app.

“It’s a movement empowering students to lead the way in sustainability. Our goal is to expand to government schools across the UAE and to neighbouring countries such as Saudi Arabia and Oman.”

Ideas incubator

The Earth Prize was launched by the Earth Foundation, a Swiss non-profit organisation based in Geneva, to empower and educate young people to tackle environmental challenges.

Peter McGarry, founder of the Earth Foundation, said the solutions developed by young innovators address urgent environmental issues with the potential to transform the world.

“I invite everyone to engage with these remarkable ideas, support their implementation, and be inspired to take action in their own communities. Together, we can turn these promising innovations into global environmental solutions.”

Once all regional winners have been announced, public voting will take place on the website of the Earth Prize from April 13 to 22 to select the global winner.