YOUTH FOR THE FUTURE
The future of sustainability lies with the youth of today. To effectively address issues on sustainability, climate change and human impact on the environment, young people must be included in the solution as they have the capacity to be the bringers of change. Through young people gaining an understanding of and responsibility towards achieving a sustainable lifestyle, the broader community also becomes aware of environmental issues and challenges. Youth For The Future aims to educate young people through promoting a greater awareness of sustainability issues and inculcating them with the knowledge, actions and activities to create a sustainable lifestyle.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Green Growth Asia Foundation's (GGAF)
Green Growth Asia Foundation's (GGAF) aim is to respond to sustainability challenges in Asia through ‘green growth’ programmes – initiatives that drive economic prosperity through social inclusivity and environmental responsibility, and through advancing education programmes.
GGAF have been responsible for driving the launch of the global Eco-Schools Programme in Malaysia and managing its implementation with schools as a support to the existing school curriculum, in partnership with the state government. By giving pupils, the necessary knowledge and tools to identify and address environmental issues in their school, a positive ripple effect is created impacting the youth, their families, schools and local authorities. The highly successful launch of the programme in Melaka has led to the Kedah launch, where a total of 36 primary and secondary schools have been selected to pilot the programme. We are currently sponsoring 3 schools in Langkawi and are working closely with them on their sustainability curriculum.
OBJECTIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Engage in an Educational Community Partnership
Together with partner NGO Green Growth Asia Foundation, we sponsor three schools in Langkawi (Sekolah Kebangsaan Ewa, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Putra and Sekolah Kebangsaan Temonyong) to participate in the Kedah Eco-Schools Programme. Eco-Schools is the world’s largest sustainable education programme, present in 68 countries and 52,000 schools. It supports the goals of the United Nations (UNESCO) Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The Eco-Schools initiative has a 3-year programme cycle that comprises preparation, implementation and reporting.
Implement Complimentary Educational Programmes
As part of the Young Reporters for the Environment programme organised by Green Growth Asia Foundation (GGAF), local school students have visited The Datai Langkawi and educated on The Datai Pledge’s efforts. This programme gives young people aged 10-24 years a platform to research environmental issues and promote solutions through investigative reporting, photography, and video journalism. Webinars with team members for The Datai Pledge have been conducted and for the second year consecutively, our pillar leader joined a panel of evaluators for the programme’s essay competition. The award ceremony was held at The Datai Langkawi, with Arnaud Girodon presenting the awards to the 6 winners.
Promote Continuous Learning
Through the Global Youth Schools Webinar Programme, The Datai Pledge Pillar Leaders and other key personnel conduct webinars on various themes around sustainability, eco-tourism and conservation to schools in Malaysia and worldwide. This project is part of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) programme, affiliated with the Eco-Schools Programme. To date, 1,233 local and international pupils have been reached through this series, with our webinar on ‘Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry’ setting record high of 890 participants.
“I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside...”
- Johan Abdullah, Pillar Leader, Youth For The Future, The Datai Pledge | Director of Human Resources, The Datai Langkawi -