Two YRE international winners were announced during the local awards ceremony, which was held on 3 June at Maria Regina College SS Mosta. Julia Scerri from St Monica School Gzira and Kurt Micallef from St Margaret College Secondary School Verdala both placed second in the photography category, in the 11-14 and 15-18 years respectively. Other Maltese entries managed to make it with the finalists.

Young Reporters for the Environment is an international programme run by FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) and run locally by Nature Trust Malta. There are 30 participating countries, with a total of over 11,000 projects submitted this year. The best local entries were chosen and sent abroad, with two of them making it internationally.

The aim of the programme is to actively engage students in taking a stand on local environmental issues. Some schools integrate the programme directly in their curriculum, while others report out of their own free will. Environmental missions and event reporting feature in the school calendar and students regularly send their reports to the local media. Themes vary from the popular waste, water and transport issues to more challenging themes such as active aging and migration.    

Present for the award ceremony were representatives from the local sponsors - the Ministry for Education and Employment, WasteServ, HSBC Water Programme, We Eat Responsibly and Parliamentary Secretary for Rights of Persons with Disability and Active Ageing. Of particular highlight was the online presence of Dr Metsola, MEP, who will be sponsoring students to visit the EU parliament and interview MEPs. EDIC Gozo held their own award ceremony, including the YRE awards.

Schools or students wishing to participate next year can contact Audrey Gauci, the YRE national coordinator on [email protected]