On July 27, 2026, the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) launched an innovative new initiative to center youth voices in regional climate action: the CCCCC Youth Short Story Competition. Open exclusively to CARICOM citizens between the ages of 18 and 25, the competition invites young writers to craft original narratives responding to a targeted, forward-looking prompt: “Imagine a climate-secure future for the world. Inspired by the Caribbean.”
Unlike traditional climate policy initiatives that lean heavily on technical data and scientific research, this competition frames storytelling as a core tool for driving climate progress. Lead Communications Specialist Danelle De Coteau-Campbell emphasized that climate action’s future depends just as much on shared narratives and inspired ideas as it does on empirical data. “Through this competition, we are inspiring the youth to imagine a climate secure Caribbean and to protect our culture, our people and our homes and this is our way of handing them the pen,” De Coteau-Campbell explained. “We are excited to see how participants will give life to their ideas and in doing so, inspire meaningful conversations about the future we all share.”
The short story competition is not a standalone project, but rather a key component of CCCCC’s broader regional strategy to position young people as active, leading contributors to the Caribbean’s climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. It also aims to boost public awareness of the unique climate challenges facing Caribbean small island and coastal states, while highlighting homegrown solutions developed by regional stakeholders.
Entry requirements are clear to ensure originality and accessibility: all submissions must be original, previously unpublished works between 1,500 and 2,500 words, and AI-generated content is strictly prohibited. Entries must be submitted through the official competition portal hosted on CCCCC’s website, caribbeanclimate.org, where prospective participants can also find full guidelines, eligibility rules, and judging criteria.
To incentivize participation, the competition offers tangible prizes for top-placed entries: the first-place winner will receive a MacBook Neo, with additional prizes awarded to second and third place finalists.
For more than two decades, CCCCC has led regional efforts to address climate change impacts across the Caribbean, a region disproportionately vulnerable to sea level rise, extreme weather events, and shifting climate patterns that threaten livelihoods, cultural heritage, and community stability. This competition marks a new approach to engaging the generation that will bear the brunt of future climate change, inviting them to shape the vision of the future they will help build.