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HONG KONG, 25 July 2024——To arouse students’ interest and engagement, innovative learning elements are crucial for education of sustainable development. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) eLearn Award Scheme launched by Hong Kong Committee of UNICEF (UNICEF HK), combining both online lessons and offline actions, provides students with a comprehensive and interactive learning experience. The scheme received an overwhelming response this academic year, with a record-breaking enrolment of over 13,000 students - a 70% increase over the previous year.

Group photo of SDGs eLearn Award Scheme Ceremony 2024. ©UNICEFHK/2024

Participating students from 127 schools have completed close to 10,000 relevant courses and actions, showcasing remarkable creativity in putting their learning into practice. This included initiatives such as using fruit foam nets to package eggs, utilizing fruit peels to make tea, and creating body scrubs from used coffee grounds, all of which address different SDG targets. Over 85% of the respondents agreed that the scheme has helped increase their willingness to implement sustainable development goals in their daily lives.

An award presentation ceremony was held on 20 July to recognize the contributions of participating schools and students. Ms. May Chiu, Executive Director of UNICEF HK, expressed her gratitude in the opening remark to the supporting school principals, teachers, parents and students. She cited UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index that Asia Pacific region is under threats of extreme weather and encouraged participants to maintain their awareness on sustainable development and continue to bring positive changes to the world through concrete actions such as the UNICEF’s Net-Zero toilet programme in Vietnam.  

The award-winning students and school representatives also shared their experiences in promoting SDGs on their campuses at the ceremony, including how they have integrated the concept of sustainable development into curriculum design and encouraged students to put SDGs into practice in their campus life. Guests from different sectors, including Ms. Lorraine Chan, Managing Director of Corporate Affairs of Link Asset Management Limited, Professor Andrew Mak, Board Chairman of CarbonCare InnoLab and Dr. Ada Chan, Manager of Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Hong Kong, were also invited to share real-life examples, highlighting the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration among businesses, academia, communities, and youth in driving sustainable development locally.

 (From left to right) Guests including Professor Andrew Mak, Dr. Ada Chan and Ms. Lorraine Chan, brought out the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration among businesses, academia, communities, and youth in driving sustainable development locally during the guest sharing session with Ms. May Chiu, Executive Director of UNICEF HK. ©UNICEFHK/2024

Principal Cheung Tik Sang from HKMLC Queen Maud Secondary School shared his concern about climate changes and how to promote SDGs on campus. ©UNICEFHK/2024

Teachers from the participating school shared how to integrate SDGs into the curriculum. ©UNICEFHK/2024

Awardees shared their learning experiences and showcased their work to guests. ©UNICEFHK/2024

Launched in 2022 by UNICEF HK, the SDGs eLearn Award Scheme aims to support the implementation of United Nations' SDG targets, providing a platform for local secondary school students to engage in self-directed learning and practise SDGs, deepening their understanding of global issues and cultivating their global citizenship. UNICEF HK also provides a variety of diverse online learning resources, and has launched different youth programmes such as the UNICEF Club, Young Envoys Programme, to raise the younger generation's awareness on important issues on children's rights and sustainable development.

For more details on the scheme, please visit https://elearn.unicef.org.hk/

Stewards Pooi Kei College was awarded the ‘SDGs Action School Award’ and the ‘Best Participation School Award’. ©UNICEFHK/2024

Emmanuel Primary School, Kowloon, was the first primary school to participate in the programme. The outstanding performance of all 5 students was commended. ©UNICEFHK/2024

UNICEF HK also held learning experience activities in kindergartens, cultivating children’s awareness of SDGs from an early age. ©UNICEFHK/2024

Awardees of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) eLearn Award Scheme 2024:

SDGs Action School Award

• Stewards Pooi Kei College

Best Participation School Award (In alphabetical order)

• HKMLC Queen Maud Secondary School
• Stewards Pooi Kei College
• TWGHs Kwok Yat Wai College

Most Active Contribution Award

• Chan Man Lok (HKMLC Queen Maud Secondary School)
• Yeung Lok Yan (HKMLC Queen Maud Secondary School)
• Valerie Chiu Wing Yee (St. Mary's Canossian College)
• Pang Tsz Ying (St. Paul's School (Lam Tin))
• Lau Sum Ping (PLK Mrs. Ma Kam Ming-Cheung Fook Sien College)
• Ng On Kiu (Good Hope School)
• Ho Chi Ching (Pui Tak Canossian College)
• Lai Cheuk Lam (St. Mary's Canossian College)
• Shum Man Hei (St. Paul's Co-educational College)
• Chan Chun Ming (PLK Laws Foundation College)
• Li Pak Ngai (Stewards Pooi Kei College)