For the third year in a row, the AFS Project: Change contest has inspired 8-12th grade students to share their visions for global change.

The Grand Prize winner of this year’s AFS Project: Change contest is Erin Schmitz, of Madison, Wisconsin (congrats World Flags Area Team)! Erin and 9 of her peers will travel to Guatemala this summer to enact her sustainability-focused project, with the goal of empowering children to make educated decisions about their environmental impact.

We were certainly inspired by these young changemakers, and we weren’t alone in our praise. Over 17,000 people across the country voted to support this year’s project ideas and cast 80,000 votes in total! A panel of judges then reviewed the 200 entries with the most votes and selected winners based on project quality, feasibility and creativity.

Congratulations go to all of the entrants for being inspired to envision a positive change in the world! Click here to view the winning project ideas from Erin and the 9 additional winners.