March – June 2025
The Nelson Pilot
16 weeks of real climate action
27 teenagers, 6 real solutions, 1 community. Here's how students moved beyond awareness to create actual environmental impact.
27
Young changemakers
16
Weeks of action
6
Real solutions launched
The journey: March to June 2025
Term 1: Discovery & pitching
Weeks 1–10
- Team formation & mentor matching
- Research & community connections
- Problem-solving workshops
- Guest speakers & field visits
- Nelson Council 'Dragon's Den'
Term 2: Building & testing
Weeks 11–16
- Prototype development
- Real-world testing & feedback
- Industry mentorship
- Project refinement
- Professional Pitch Night
Who Earthminds was for
Students ready to make real change — no experience needed, just curiosity, drive, and readiness to act.
- ✓ Work on real-world problems
- ✓ Hands-on sustainability experience
- ✓ Meet inspiring mentors
- ✓ Build leadership skills
- ✓ Gain pitching confidence
- ✓ Create tangible impact
The six teams & their real solutions
Tap a team to see the problem they picked, what they built, and what they learned.
👕 Secondhand Clothing TeamTackling fast fashion waste through behaviour change
🎯 The problemFast fashion leads to excessive waste — 180,000 tonnes of clothing are landfilled each year in NZ. Secondhand clothing is often seen as undesirable or inconvenient.
💡 Their solutionA pledge campaign encouraging people to buy at least 50% of their clothes secondhand or upcycled over 6 months, supported by a secondhand fashion show and clothing swap experiments.
📚 Key learningsClothing swaps require scale for variety, framing matters for changing perceptions, and they gained skills in public speaking, event organisation, and web design.
📱 E-Waste Collection TeamMaking electronics recycling accessible and clear
🎯 The problemPeople don't know what to do with their old electronics, leading to dangerous e-waste buildup.
💡 Their solutionCreated an educational campaign and collection point at the showcase for small e-waste items, with practical info on what can be recycled and where.
📚 Key learningsConvenience is key to behaviour change, people act when it's easy and clear, and they gained confidence in outreach and presenting to adults.
🌊 Mussel Rope ExperimentCommunity-led marine restoration through citizen science
🎯 The problemMarine biodiversity in Tasman Bay is declining, and it's unclear where and how mussels — which clean water and support marine life — can regrow.
💡 Their solutionA community-led experiment testing if mussels will grow on different surfaces like ropes or poles, especially in places with public access. The public can join or follow results online.
📚 Key learningsCitizen science works when experiments are simple and well-structured, natural restoration needs both biology and local involvement, and they learned marine science, experiment design, and public engagement.
💧 Water Team – Adopt a PlotBuilding community connection to local waterways
🎯 The problemMany people in Nelson don't know or care about the health of their local streams, despite visible pollution and runoff issues.
💡 Their solution"Adopt a Plot" encourages families and schools to take ownership of small sections of local streams by monitoring, caring for, and learning about their waterway.
📚 Key learningsPersonal ownership increases care, simple tools make monitoring accessible, and they learned about water quality indicators, mapping, and local ecosystems.
🥤 Chia Children – Refillables at SupermarketsScaling sustainable packaging into the mainstream
🎯 The problemRefillable food and drink containers are still rare in mainstream supermarkets, which leads to unnecessary packaging waste.
💡 Their solutionDeveloped a campaign to get supermarkets to trial refillable drinks, modelled off the Chia Sisters' existing refill system. Created a public-facing pitch and prototype to share with stores.
📚 Key learningsEven sustainable businesses face mainstream barriers, clear pilot ideas are critical for uptake, and they learned pitching, logistics, and business communication.
🍎 Food Team – Second HarvestTurning food waste into community nourishment
🎯 The problemPerfectly edible food is thrown out because of best-before dates, aesthetics, or over-ordering — even though many families struggle with food access.
💡 Their solutionDesigned "Second Harvest" — a system for collecting surplus food from cafes or grocers and sharing it through community fridges or hubs. Piloted small-scale partnerships and developed a growth plan.
📚 Key learningsRedistribution works best with reliable logistics and clear partners, social stigma around "rescued" food needs addressing, and they learned coordination, storytelling, and consistent follow-through.
Student voices: the real experience
"I loved it! We were treated as equals — our ideas and opinions really got heard and I'm super grateful for that."— Year 9
"I loved being able to work with like-minded people who also want to change things for a better future."— Year 11
"I really enjoyed getting to make a change on a larger scale and getting to make connections with like-minded people."— Year 10
Real impact, real numbers
Individual growth
Control over their learning+11%
From 5.6 to 6.2 out of 7
Comfort speaking up in groups+14%
Action-readiness score5.2/7
"I know how to turn an idea into action"
Climate knowledge increase3.4→3.7
Out of 5, with strong statistical significance
What meant most to students
Learning & awareness ⭐⭐"Great opportunity to learn more about climate change"
Tangible impact ⭐"Having achieved something in a short time"
Connection & teamwork ⭐"Fun adventure of teamwork and hands-on experience"
Most powerful takeaway
"I really enjoyed getting to make a change on a larger scale and connecting with like-minded people."
See more from the program
Curious to try something similar?
We packaged the session plans, templates, and facilitation notes we used in Nelson into a free starter kit. It's there if it's useful — no strings attached.