2025 Earth Day Challenge

The Earth Day Challenge was developed by Tracy Earth Project in partnership with the Tracy Unified School District.

The Earth Day Challenge is a key part of Tracy Earth Project's Earth Day event.

Our annual Tracy Earth Day Challenge (EDC) is a chance for our students to share ideas on how we can do a better job of protecting our planet, and win $1,000 for their classrooms!

This year, the projects addressed a wide range of environmental issues, including various forms of pollution, recycling, biodiversity loss, ground-level ozone, climate change, renewable energy, and food waste management. Judging was conducted by TUSD STEM directors and community leaders, who were both inspired and impressed by the students’ work.

We were honored to have Senator Jerry McNerney, Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, and Supervisor Robert Rickman present awards to the winners in the Elementary, Middle School, and High School categories, respectively.

Now in its third year, the EDC has engaged nearly 500 students. Tracy Earth Project is proud to play a role in sparking the passion and action of the next generation of environmental stewards.

"The EDC encourages student teams of three or more to identify local or global environmental issues and develop creative, research-backed solutions."

Manju Theresa Mathew

President, Tracy Earth Project

Congratulations to our 2025 Tracy Earth Day Challenge Winners!

South West Park Elementary School

The winning project was Plastic Planet to Thriving Planet by Ms. Ciara Winter’s students—Aavya Zachariah, Jasai Zachariah, and Mathias Abiye—from South West Park Elementary School. Their project included extensive research and a detailed action plan focusing on the replacement of common plastic items with eco-friendly alternatives.

George Kelly Elementary School

Seventh-grade students from George Kelly Elementary School—Chaarvi Gupta, Lia Jacobs, Meghnaa Ganesh, and Merlyn Mathews from Mrs. Shalini Gupta’s class—won for their project Ground Level Ozone. They explored the harmful effects of ground-level ozone, formed by chemical reactions between pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, and proposed strategies to mitigate its impact.

Tracy High School

Students from Ms. Nishi Dwivedi’s class at Tracy High School—Aydin Assifi, Saihaj Noor Sekhon, Inika Ahmed, Divya Pandya, and Bahaar Rahin—won with their project Fast Fashion. The team examined the environmental, economic, and ethical consequences of the fast fashion industry, particularly the issue of textile waste. Their project also highlighted potential solutions, including recycling and promoting cultural shifts like thrifting.