The world’s biggest challenges – from climate change to poverty and social justice – are just that, BIG. What does it take to make a difference? For the third year, students around the world proved that a big difference can start with a small step. Over the course of the most recent academic year, almost 5,000 students across 71 campuses completed a mind-boggling 113,000 small actions, ranging from recycling and taking public transit to volunteering in their communities. The photos above illustrate a few of their amazing efforts.

We’d like to recognize our recent challenge winners, as well as the top 10 schools in our Earth Week Challenge – a week-long challenge at the end of April that demonstrated our collective commitment to preserving our planet.  

Spring Campus Winners:

Top large school: Penn State University
Top medium school: University of California – Berkeley
Top small school: Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

Fall Campus Winners:*

Top school: Penn State University
Most participants: Texas State University
Most actions: Oklahoma State University

Earth Week Challenge top schools:

Pennsylvania State University
University of California – Berkeley
University of Iowa
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Texas State University
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
Tulane University
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Rutgers University
Chapman University

And we'd like to thank our generous sponsors: Alcoa Foundation and Newman's Own Foundation.

Want to get involved? 

Tell us what you're doing to make a difference this summer by tagging your activities with #ImpactSummer -- or find an impact event near you.

*Each school was eligible to win one prize.