All public and private schools in 11 Southeast Asian countries are invited to submit entries for the 2020 Seameo-Japan Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Award with the theme “Addressing Plastic Problems for Transforming Communities.”
The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (Seameo) and Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology established the award, in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, and the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd.
It is in support to the “United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.”
Now in its ninth year, the award aims to raise and promote positive human values among both teachers and students as well as share best practices in ESD in schools across Southeast Asia.
In 2017, Labuin Elementary School in Pila, Laguna, won the Seameo-Japan ESD third prize for its program “Intensification of the School Garden in Improving Nutrition of the School Children.”
The school carried out the winning program as a pilot site of the School and Home Gardens project, led by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca), one of the oldest specialist institutions of Seameo.
This year’s Seameo-Japan ESD theme is aligned with Searca’s goal to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production as set in its 11th Five-Year Plan (2020-2025).
Headed by Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, Searca is intent on implementing the “Accelerating Transformation Through Agricultural Innovation” program in the next five years.
All schools in Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam are invited to submit information on their respective programs and activities, particularly on their program or initiative related to plastic waste management practices.
They must indicate how the initiative transformed the community, and provide impactful evidence in reducing the plastic usage, improving the plastic waste management system, and cleaning the ecosystem of the community.
Moreover, Seameo said entries should demonstrate the community engagement with multisectoral partners that create mutual beneficial partnerships, deepen student learning experiences, support student growth, and sustain the society.
“The school should clearly demonstrate the integration of the school initiative in all schools’ aspects such as school policy, management plan, curriculum, teaching and learning practices, co-curricular and student activities, partnership efforts, community participation, and so on,” Seameo added.
The first prize for the winning school includes $1,500 and a fully sponsored study tour to Japan for four to six persons.
Participating schools must ensure that their entries for the 2020 Seameo-Japan ESD Award are received by the Seameo Secretariat based in Bangkok, Thailand, by August 14.
