Dubai school a finalist for world’s best school prize
Recognition accorded for school’s environmental action initiatives
Dubai: Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills has been named a Top 3 finalist for the World’s Best School Prize for Environmental Action 2024.
The five World’s Best School Prizes, founded by T4 Education in collaboration with Accenture, American Express and the Lemann Foundation, will award winners from a $50,000 total prize fund.
The five prizes are for Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity and Supporting Healthy Lives. They were established in the wake of COVID-19 in 2022 to give a platform to schools that are changing lives in their classrooms and far beyond their walls, sharing their best practices to help improve education everywhere.
The winners and finalists of the World’s Best School Prizes will be invited to the World Schools Summit in Dubai, UAE, on November 23-24, which will bring together global education leaders with the world’s best schools to help transform education.
Jill Huntley, Managing Director – Global Corporate Citizenship, at Accenture, said: “Congratulations to Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills in the UAE on the fantastic achievement of becoming a Top 3 finalist for the World’s Best School Prize for Environmental Action 2024. Through your efforts, you give us hope for the future of our planet, and your solutions will now inspire others across the globe through the platform of the World’s Best School Prizes.”
Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and the World’s Best School Prizes, said: “Unless the world takes urgent action, it is set to miss UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 of universal quality education by 2030. The global education crisis is multifaceted and so must be the solutions.
That’s why we must look to the grassroots, to our schools at the coalface, for answers. To exceptional UAE institutions like Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills, whose work should make governments around the world sit up and take notice. By spreading its innovations far and wide, we can inspire change where it’s needed most.”
Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills’ vibrant Eco Club leads several sustainability projects, such as a significant E-waste recycling campaign and model COP28 events, raising awareness and fostering tangible community action. These initiatives exemplify the academy’s commitment to environmental advocacy and are integrated into the IB curriculum, enhancing student participation in global conservation efforts.
Should Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills win the World’s Best School Prize for Environmental Action, the prize money would be used to advance sustainability efforts by establishing hydroponic systems for growing organic vegetables on campus. This initiative would further reduce the school’s carbon footprint and enhance student engagement in eco-friendly practices, reinforcing the academy’s role as a leader in environmental education and action.