Reflecting on “We Are the Future”: Celebrating Youth Art & Climate Action

We Are the Future Climate Art Contest winners

Sierra Club Canada Foundation (SCCF) joined 15-year-old Anna Salazar of Lisgar Collegiate Institute by supporting Anna’s “We Are the Future: Art to Inspire Climate Change Action” contest, rallying young artists across Ottawa-area schools to channel creativity into climate activism.

A Vision Brought to Life

Driven by a deep passion for environmental protection—and more recently, climate change apathy—Anna originally conceived the idea of an art contest in March 2025. As part of her Civics class project to help people and improve the community, Anna hoped to inspire people through art not just to become momentarily aware of these issues, but also to take meaningful action. She received 32 entries from students at 10 schools.

Contest by the Numbers

  • Entries received: 32 artworks in diverse media (e.g., charcoal, watercolour, photography, collage, digital, video). Includes one submission titled “Sunset and Skies”, which is a series of 5 images.
  • Judging panel: Five Sierra Club Canada judges plus five members of Anna’s team, including an art historian, a global communications director, a nutritionist, and an energy-efficient aviation technology specialist.
  • Scoring criteria: Each entry was evaluated on climate change awareness, alignment with the “We Are the Future” theme, creativity/originality, and execution/skill.
  • Finalists: Diverse judges came together in the end to recognize the top seven finalists.

Honouring Extraordinary Talent

After rigorous deliberation, three standout works rose above the rest:

1st place – Be the Change by Charlotte Little (Lester B. Pearson HS)

The striking portrayal of people reaching towards nature powerfully embodies collective responsibility and hope.

2nd place – Earth’s Power by Oliver Gingras (Canterbury HS)

A luminous moth drawn to a light bulb, reminding viewers of humanity’s dependence on Earth’s resources.

3rd place – Dueling Reality’s by Quinn White (Richard Pfaff Alternate Program)

Dual-panel collages, cut from vintage business magazines, juxtaposed destructive exploitation against harmonious coexistence with nature.

Four honourable mentions were celebrated: Marleau Brown’s haunting charcoal series titled We Are the Future, Naman Vasdev’s evocative video Act Today, Arilnara Bajwa’s powerful split-scene illustration Our Choice, Our Future!, and Lea Min-Nielsen’s poignant folk-art-inspired work Before It’s Gone.

Sierra Club Canada proudly amplifies these young voices. Their art reminds us that we are the future, and that every brushstroke can shape a healthier planet. The contest showed how unity and creativity drive climate action. Let this event inspire us all to imagine, create, and act—because the future starts now.