April 10, 2012 - Golden Season sponsors EarthCheck's Sustainability Challenge

Singaporean school students lead an international sustainability challenge

Students from 12 schools in Singapore are leading the world in the study of environmental sustainability by taking part in EarthCheck's Sustainability Challenge.

EarthCheck CEO Mr Stewart Moore said the Sustainability Challenge is a new interactive educational program designed specifically for school children, aged between 10 and 16, and teachers.

"The practical program actively engages students in their environmental future and gives them an understanding of their impact and the pathway to achieve sustainable outcomes," said Mr Moore.

"One of the most significant components of the Sustainability Challenge is the interactive web-based benchmarking tool developed by EarthCheck that encourages teachers, students and parents to achieve household sustainability."

EarthCheck's Sustainability Challenge was launched in Singapore in association with the Banyan Tree Global Foundation and Singapore Polytechnic and with sponsorship from Golden Season.

Mr Lim Cher Yam, Senior Director of Singapore Polytechnic said this new international curriculum-based education program had the potential to shape environmental sustainability initiatives in the future.

"We are excited to partner this ground-breaking initiative and foresee the potential this action-based learning may have on the environmental and economic future of Singapore," said Mr Lim.

Banyan Tree Global Foundation's Co-ordinating Director Michael Kwee said the scientifically based Sustainability Challenge will give the children real-life experience in calculating their own household's environmental impact as well as discovering practical ways to reduce their impact.

"We support EarthCheck's Sustainability Challenge as a practical way of embracing environmental sustainability and empowering people to be agents of social and economic development," said Mr Kwee.

Mr Moore said EarthCheck planned to roll-out the Sustainability Challenge in schools globally in 2013.

"We chose Singapore to launch the program because it is well known as a smart destination with government and business leaders striving for environmental sustainability while growing the economy," said Mr Moore.

"The future of the planet lies in the hands of today's school kids. Give them the information and the tools on sustainability and they will collectively shape the world we live in".

He said the program will be offered through the not-for-profit EarthCheck Research Institute which will donate the software licences to the schools.

"In order to extend the program internationally, we will be calling on corporate sponsors to get involved to cover the costs of server maintenance and translation services."