Application Deadline: October 15, 2021
The International Support Network for African Development (ISNAD-Africa) is a UNEP-accredited non-governmental organisation that is committed to raising global and multi-stakeholder support for green growth in Africa. ISNAD-Africa operates a network of more than 1,500 green growth professionals, researchers, youths, students and enthusiasts from over 100 countries across the globe.
In view of providing hands-on environmental education among the youth across African countries, ISNAD-Africa is implementing the Environmental Education Programme. The Environmental Education Programme (EEP) employs a co-creation approach to empower African youth to leverage the high enthusiasm, technology savvy, resilience, and exploratory spirit of the youth in conceptualising and implementing innovative local environmental solutions in Africa. Through the programme, ISNAD-Africa empowers secondary school students in African nations:
- to identify environmental challenges and needs in their locality to enable green growth.
- develop solutions to the identified problems and needs through critical thinking and the application of previously acquired knowledge from subjects in secondary school, gain hands-on experience in implementing their ideas, as hands-on projects, supported through mentorship by international experts, peer learning through group projects,
- share their projects with secondary school students, experts from across the globe, partnering organizations among other stakeholders across the globe, and
- initiate and run student-led environmental sustainability clubs, “EcoHeroes”
The programme seeks to provide youth with action competencies that will enable them to develop capacity and long-term commitment to sustainability for everyday life, career engagement or voluntary service as environmentalists or influencers for the environment at the local and international levels.
Requirements
- Each secondary school will be represented by a team comprising of at least five (5) students and a coordinating teacher (more students and teachers are allowed depending on the nature of their project). Organisations who work directly with secondary school students may also apply.
- Each team is expected to identify environmental challenges and needs that are linked to nature conservation in their communities covering water scarcity, renewable energy and protection of biodiversity, marine life, freshwater life, wildlife conservation, threatened ecosystem and propose an idea of how they could address the challenge or meet the need. Only innovative projects that is linked to nature conservation will be considered. Please read our blog about nature conservation with diverse examples of nature conservation projects implemented by secondary schools around the globe to gain inspiration for your project ideas. (We recommend this that you read the blog before completing the application to be sure your project idea is related to nature conservation).
- At the completion of the project, each team will be required to share the outcome of their project on a local outreach which could be to other students in their schools, people in their local communities among others.
- The selected schools will be required to sustaining each team as a club, “EcoHeroes” which could admit more students to sustain the project and continue to engage on environmental sustainability in the long term.
- A plan of activities for operation of the club, “EcoHeroes”, after the completion of the project funded within the EEP2021/2022. The plan should cover at least three months. This is crucial as the sustainability of the clubs is a major objective of the programme. Please note that there is no format for the plan of activities, however, it should clear and understandable on how the club will be operated after the completion of the projects within the EEP2021/2022. The activities can be zero cost initiatives such as debates, quizzes, games, outreaches, etc.
While ISNAD-Africa will not be responsible for the operation and finance of the clubs, we will provide technical support, monthly/quarterly meetings, as well as share possible opportunities with the clubs.
Benefits
The 2021 edition of the programme builds on the successful pilot case implementation of the programme in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Cameroon, and Uganda in 2018, 2019 and 2020/2021. With funding support from Laila Johansson och Björn Bergströms scholarship from WWF Sweden, each selected student team will be awarded a grant of up to USD 500 to implement their projects
Benefits
Each selected team will receive;
- Support from international and local experts as technical advisors to refine and help with the implementation of the project through quality mentorship and advisory.
- Capacity development through critical thinking, hands-on project implementation, online webinar presentation and training
- Up to USD 500 funding for the implementation of your project idea for all selected teams.The ideas will be innovative projects that connect nature conservation with other themes of development and livelihood including outdoor activities are strongly encouraged. Please, note that the implementation of the projects should be between 3-6 months
- Certificate of participation
- Opportunity to share their projects with other secondary school students across the globe
- Leverage on the global visibility and publicity of ISNAD-Africa, and World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF)
- At the completion of the projects, monetary awards will be awarded to the three “EcoHeroes” Clubs with the most innovative and impactful to support the operation of their club after the completion of their projects sponsored within EEP.
Application Procedure
- Qualified and interested teams are invited to complete the online application.
- Letter of support: A letter from the school’s management expressing its support for school’s team participation in the programme, and the commitment of the school to the operation and sustainability of the club, “EcoHeroes” after the completion of project funded within EEP. The letter should also indicate that the school has/will provide electricity access and internet access as well as a projector and camera for quality and short video recordings.
Deadline for applications: Friday, Oct 15, 2021 (11:59HRS GMT+1)
For inquiries, please contact us at [email protected] or [email protected]
For Partnership, kindly contact [email protected] (cc: [email protected])
Please download the budget template for your project. Complete it and submit it as a PDF document during the application process.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the ISNAD Environmental Education Programme (EEP) 2021