Malaysian high schools swept three out of four international Young Leaders Awards in a field of 300 participating schools from around the world.
This is the second-year edition of the Effect+ for the Classroom Program by AFS Intercultural Programs in partnership with the Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation which has engaged 300 high-school teachers from 15 countries in nine months of virtual capacity-building activities that equipped them to introduce students to global issues and develop as active global citizens to help advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
SMK Megat Dewa in Kodiang, Kedah was named the top winner of the 2022 Sir Cyril Taylor Young Leaders Award for its proposal on Smart Aqua-Pronic Project for Sustainable Community Living, addressing SDG 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities.
The nine students involved in developing the project were Nurul Asyiqin Yusri, Nur Jannatul Husna Zainudin, Haifaa Halim, Mohd Anas Daniel Mohd Farid, Nuren Shamimi Mohamad Nizam, Phakhavee A/L Pi Chit, Phakhavad A/L Pi Chit, Habib Zafri Sufizan and Syahirah Sazalee. They were ably guided by their teacher Puan Noorseiah Mohamad.
SMK Bagan Jaya in Penang was named First Runner-Up for their project on Rainwater Harvesting Systems while SMK Ave Maria Convent of Ipoh, Perak was Third Runner-Up with their project entitled STEM Vibes.
In addition to receiving the 2022 Sir Cyril Taylor Young Leaders Award, the winning students’ project team will receive full scholarships to join the AFS Global You Changemaker online program, a 12-week interactive virtual exchange program for teens to develop global competence skills, prototype innovative social impact projects and earn certification from the University of Pennsylvania Center for Social Impact Strategy.
A virtual awards ceremony was held as an opportunity for different stakeholders involved in the AFS Effect Plus program to connect and hear impact stories from facilitators and teachers and recognise the top social impact project idea developed by students with their teachers’ guidance to tackle one or more of the SDGs.
AFS Effect+ Program is a hands-on learning program that introduces students to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how to work together to help advance these goals in their communities. The current AFS Effect+ versions available include workshops for teens led by AFS facilitators and a fully free Classroom Edition of the Program for high-school teachers, which includes capacity-building and a toolkit with resources for teaching Active Global Citizenship & the SDGs for high school students. The generous support of The Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation has made it possible for high school teachers to also benefit from this program. The Effect+ for the Classroom Program equips educators with the intercultural skills needed to address the SDGs with their students through a full-scholarship program.
During this international virtual teacher training program, teachers will explore different views, cultures and ways of life in a collaborative virtual learning environment, make local and global connections with other educators interested in Global Citizenship Education, experience different training and teaching styles as well as earn a certificate upon completion, indicating the number of hours of engagement, and the knowledge and skills developed.
Since its first iteration in 2020, the AFS Effect+ for the Classroom Program has already engaged 450 educators from 16 countries, reaching 9,000+ high school students.
