Nominations Open for 2020 SEAMEO-Japan ESD Award

Deadline: 14 August 2020

The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT), in cooperation with the UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, have shown their collective commitment to promote best practices in ESD in schools across Southeast Asia, by organising the SEAMEO-Japan Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Award.

Objectives

The objectives of the SEAMEO-Japan ESD Award are:

• To raise awareness of ESD in schools and communities across Southeast Asia;
• To promote ESD best practices in schools and communities across Southeast Asia;
• To share and exchange knowledge and best practices on ESD in schools across Southeast Asia and Japan;
• To encourage networking among schools and communities which implement ESD practices in Southeast Asian countries and Japan; and
• To support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of United Nations.

Theme for 2020: “Addressing Plastic Problems for Transforming Communities”

Plastic pollution is one of the most serious threats to our environments, creating toxic exposure in every phase of its life cycle. The scale of problems created by plastic cups, bottles and containers is growing along with population.

Plastics often contain additives making them stronger, more flexible, and durable. But many of these additives can extend the life of products if they become litter, with some estimates ranging to at least 400 years to break down.

Currently 13 million tons of plastic enter the world’s oceans every year. An estimated accumulation of 12 billion tons by the year 2050 lead to break outlook for all life, damaging the human health, the environment and the global economy. Millions of animals are killed by plastic every year, from birds to fish to other marine organisms. Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by plastics. It has been reported that China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam generate more ocean plastic waste than the rest of the world combined.

To reduce and prevent the plastic waste from harming our environment and life, the 2020 SEAMEO-Japan ESD Award selects the theme “Addressing Plastic Problems for Transforming Communities”.

The objectives of this year’s award scheme are:

• To promote waste management system and other plastic initiatives in schools in Southeast Asia and Japan that contributes to the transformation of communities and ecosystems;
• To share initiatives and good practices that support sustainable development through the integration of waste management system into the holistic school programmme;
• To encourage schools to develop and improve current ESD activities and programmes.

Under the theme of “Addressing Plastic Problems for Transforming Communities,” the school entry should cover the following criteria:

• The entry should be relevant to the theme, and provide details of school initiative/programme/innovation related to plastic waste management practices or others which the school has tackled the problems of plastics as a whole in school and community.
• The entry should demonstrate how the school initiative/programme transform the community and provide impactful evidence in reducing the plastic usage and/or improving the plastic waste management system as well as clean the ecosystem of the community.
• The entry 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/programme 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.

Prize Information

• 1st Prize winner
  • USD$1,500
  • A study tour to Japan
  • (The organizer will sponsor the travel expenses for four to six persons, which includes round-trip airfares, accommodation for three nights, domestic transportation in Japan, interpreter, and visa fees).
• 2nd Prize winner
  • USD$1,000
• 3rd Prize winner
  • USD$500
• A Special Prize from the SEAMEO Secretariat for the best programme carried out in small schools of less than 250 students
  • USD$1,000

Eligibility Criteria

All public and private kindergarten/elementary/secondary/vocational and technical schools in 11 Southeast Asian countries – namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam – are invited to submit information about programme/project/initiative that are related to the theme of this year’s competition.

Judging Criteria

The judging committee will consider the following criteria in selecting the winning schools:

• Transformation of Community and Impacts to Community/Ecosystem
  • The school’s programme has demonstrated the transformation of community in reducing the plastic usage and improving the waste management system and ecosystem of the community.
  • Results, during/after implementation, have revealed the effectiveness and benefits of the school’s programme to students, teachers, parents, communities and ecosystems.
  • The school’s programme has demonstrated the change of attitudes, values, and behaviors at an individual level, including students, teachers, parents and people at community.
  • Information, data, and models have been effectively compiled, documented, and shared within the schools, among schools in one community, and at the broader provincial or national level.
• Integration of Strategies/ Modalities for Implementation
  • Implementation of the school’s programme is emphasized and incorporated into school policies, management plans, and teaching and learning strategies within the school.
  • The school has demonstrated clear effective strategies, and programme components/activities on how to implement the school’s programme.
  • Appropriate and effective methods and resources are used to implement the programme.
  • Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms or processes are identified to ensure the immediate and long-term outcomes.
• Innovation and Creativity
  • The school’s programme has demonstrated innovative practice in reducing plastic usage and wastage in the school, community and ecosystem.
  • The school has demonstrated innovative ideas for utilising available resources.
• Teaching and Learning Approaches
  • The school has demonstrated effective and innovative teaching and learning approaches that have been applied to reduce the plastic usage and improve the waste management system in its school and community environment.
  • The school has embedded the proper knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, behaviors and daily practices into subject disciplines and incorporated ESD principles and pedagogical methods to ensure that students are able to connect the practices in their daily life, and community.
  • The teaching and learning approaches have demonstrated the change or transformation of attitudes, values, and behaviors of teachers and student in the school.
• Participatory Approach and Engagement of Community
  • The school has demonstrated the use of participatory processes – involving students, teachers, parents, communities’ stakeholders and partners – in planning and implementing the programme.
  • The school has engaged community-level partners such as community stakeholders, experts, local governors, practitioners and parents in the programme.
  • The school’s programme has strengthened students’ involvement in the local community.
• Sustainability
  • The school has included the initiative/waste management practice within the school management plan and teaching and learning activities across subjects for a long-term action strategy.
  • The school has demonstrated a clear future plan on how to sustain or scale up the programme.
• Interrelationship with other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • The school has demonstrated that the school’s programme has integrated the improvement of other SDGs, not the individual pursuit of each SDG, but has interrelation with other SDGs. Therefore, the school should make a clear statement in its application on how the school’s programme connects to other SDGs.

For more information, visit https://www.seameo.org/Main_programme/213