The winners of CalMatters’ second annual Earth Day op-ed contest are in, spotlighting the ways in which climate solutions play an important role in this year’s election.

More than 70 high school students across California entered this year’s contest, calling on candidates seeking office to back a variety of policies. Entries were rich in research, tracking oil industry contributions, evaluating carbon trading prices and forest restoration, proposing binational projects and more. Some entries called for boosting and tidying public transit systems to appeal to more Californians.

“There is constant talk of climate solutions in California, but rarely do we hear from the folks that will be most affected by today’s decisions – good or bad,” says California Voices editor Yousef Baig. “This contest is a chance to give them a platform and recognize gifted young writers across our state.”

The first place winner earned $500 with another $500 for their school’s journalism program. Second and third place finishers earned $300. All students with leading entries were able to participate in direct coaching sessions with Baig.Some teachers used the contest as a classroom activity.

“We saw young people engaging in journalism for their first time and pitching solutions to publications,” says Youth Journalism Initiative manager Michael Lozano. “It’s fulfilling to be a conduit for the next generation, to remind them that their unique experiences and perspectives matter.”

Let’s take a look at this year’s winners:

First Place, Emma Kavcioglu

The children affected by Aliso Canyon’s historic gas leak are voting age. They want California to ban fracking

Kavcioglu is a junior at Granada Hills Charter High School, and she serves as the opinion editor for her school newspaper, the Plaid Press.

What inspired your writing?

I decided to enter the contest after my journalism teacher told me about the contest and recommended that I enter. I work as the opinion editor on my school paper, so I was really excited to get to work on my Op-Ed for the CalMatters competition. My family and I were personally relocated due to a gas leak when I was 8 years old, and the feelings and memories of that experience became the inspiration for the piece.

What is it like being a finalist?

I felt honored to be considered as a finalist in the contest. Getting such a high level of commendation from CalMatters really stands as evidence of how much I have grown and learned in my high school journalism endeavors. I felt very proud to be recognized for my writing, and working with the CalMatters Team throughout the editing process has given me a valuable new perspective on how major publications function, setting me up for success in the workplace.

Second Place, Sophia Bella

California has to rid itself of a ‘no’ mentality to change its relationship with cars

Sophia Bella is a junior at Burlingame High School and managing editor of The Burlingame B.

What inspired your writing?

Every day on my way to school, I pass the steel poles of our local Caltrain electrification project, which was scheduled to be operational by 2022. Now, two years past its deadline, the project is still incomplete. In my high school newsroom, the “train story idea” has turned into a running joke, as it has been repeatedly pitched over the past three years without any local signs of progress. For decades, officials have promised transformative infrastructure projects that repeatedly fail or are delayed in execution. Frustrated with this pattern, I viewed this contest as a perfect opportunity to merge my passions for journalism and environmentalism, and to discuss this pervasive issue on a larger platform.

What is it like being a finalist?

I think it shows that writing about issues you care about can go a long way, and participating in advocacy for change is accessible to everyone.

Third Place, Reid Heavner

McDonald’s ice cream machines are so unreliable they’re a meme. They might also be a climate solution

Reid Heavner is a freshman in Santa Rosa and staff writer for his high school newspaper.

What inspired your writing?

Originally, I entered the contest because of my school’s journalism program. I would never have known that I could even enter without my school’s program. As I worked on my submission, it started to become more than just the assignment that it started out as. There was definitely a moment where I looked at what I had just written and realized that it was actually pretty decent. I never thought that it would get selected, but I was proud of what I had written. At that point, it was sort of a fun thing, where I was just interested to see where it would go and how it would turn out. I was inspired in large part by my mother. She works as a policy writer at the Frontier Group, in which she confronts similar issues to those discussed in our articles. She helped me to pick my topic and worked with me to revise what I had written. My article definitely wouldn’t’ve turned out as well as it did without her.

What is it like being a finalist?

Being a finalist was an amazing surprise for me. I remember seeing the email telling me that my article had been selected and being in disbelief for a moment. It was an especially amazing moment because I was at a journalism convention when I found out. That weekend was already an exposure to big-time journalism outside of just my school, and hearing that I would be published in CalMatters added a level of validation to that where I felt part of the journalism community.

Honorable Mentions

Other honorable student work is rounded up in a central commentary piece.

California youth spotlight election-year priorities on climate

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.