International Support Network for African Development

Apply for the International Support Network for African Development (ISNAD-Africa) Environmental Education Program 2021/2022. The Environmental Education Program (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.

Deadline

September 25, 2021

Through the program, 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.
• Initiate and run student-led environmental sustainability clubs, “EcoHeroes”.

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.

Eligibility

• Open to student teams in secondary schools across Africa.
• 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.

Requirements

• 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 this 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. (It is recommended 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 sustain 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 program. 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.

Application

• 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 program, 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.

Click here to apply

For more information, visit ISNAD-Africa.