Nominations Open for 2019 UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

Nominations are open for the fifth edition of the UNESCO–Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) 2019 which is funded by the Government of Japan.

The UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) honours outstanding projects by individuals, institutions and organizations related to ESD.

Prize Information

The Prize annually rewards three outstanding ESD projects and programmes promoting ESD with USD 50,000 each.

Selection Criteria

The project/programme of the nominee are assessed by the Jury on the basis of the following criteria:

• Transformation
  • The project/programme practices Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as transformative education in support of sustainable development, leading to individual and social change.
  • ESD is transformative education in that it empowers learners to transform themselves and the society they live in. The nominated project/programme should therefore enable learners to bring about changes for a more just, peaceful and sustainable world. This can mean, for example, taking action against climate change, changing one’s consumption patterns, developing social entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods, or supporting those struggling against poverty.
• Integration
  • The project/programme addresses the three dimensions of sustainable development (society, economy, and environment) in an integrated way.
  • Sustainable development calls for the integration of the social, economic and environmental dimensions of development. The nominated project/programme should be in line with this definition of sustainable development. It should address the three dimensions (society, economy, environment), and help learners understand the interdependence between them and act accordingly.
• Innovation
  • The project/programme demonstrates an innovative approach to ESD.
  • Sustainable development requires going beyond ‘business as usual’ and ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking. The nominated project/programme should demonstrate an innovative approach to ESD, be it in the themes it covers, the methodology it employs, or the way the learning environment is designed. Reaching out to sectors beyond education and working with new partners can also be a sign of innovation.
• In addition to these three criteria, the project/programme should:
  • be onging and have been running for at least four years
  • have a high impact relative to the invested resources
  • be replicable and scalable
  • contribute to one or more of the five Priority Action Areas of the GAP.

Eligibility Criteria

• Governments of all Member States, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in official partnership with UNESCO, are invited to nominate up to three individuals, institutions or organizations engaged in ESD for the 2019 edition.
• Individuals, institutions, organizations or other entities engaged in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
• Nominations can be submitted to the Director-General of UNESCO by Governments of Member States via their Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, and by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in official partnership with UNESCO. Each Permanent Delegation or NGO can make up to three nominations for any edition of the Prize. Self-nominations are not accepted.

How to Apply         

Deadline: 30 April 2019                                                    

Interested applicants can apply online via given website.

For more information, please visit https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-launches-call-2019-prize-education-sustainable-development