Call for Youth Sustainable Ideas: “EcoEd – School for a Green Future”

Chișinău, September 16, 2025. The National Environmental Center and UNICEF announce the launch of the call for expressions of interest in “EcoEd – School for a Green Future” to develop ecological skills and climate knowledge among young people.

Thirty educational institutions across the Republic of Moldova will be selected to receive financial support of up to 10,000 MDL to implement, throughout the 2025–2026 school year, local sustainability projects designed and coordinated by students.

The initiative is part of the UNICEF project “Developing ecological skills and climate knowledge among young people,” implemented by the National Environmental Center.

Application period: September 16 – October 13, 2025

Eligibility: General education institutions in the Republic of Moldova (primary schools, gymnasiums, lyceums).

Number of participants: Teams of up to 10 students and 1–2 local coordinating teachers. Each team is encouraged to select a leader who will communicate on behalf of the team and guide the work process.

Participants are encouraged to develop and implement:

• offline and online information campaigns using modern communication tools on environmental topics
• research projects (e.g., what types of waste predominate in households, how much paper each class uses in a school year, what species of plants, insects, and animals are found on school grounds)
• projects monitoring soil/water/air quality and implementing water and wastewater safety plans
• projects evaluating and improving the energy efficiency of the school institution
• disaster risk adaptation plans (e.g., floods, droughts, heatwaves, extreme weather events)
• practical activities to improve the local environment (e.g., cleanups, tree planting, collection and transport of recyclable waste)

Note: Proposed activities must be ecologically justified and address local environmental problems (e.g., a cleanup should target a riverbank, lake, or forest, not just the school yard; planting should be done in areas prone to landslides, not just decorative planting around the school).

Prizes:

• 30 winning institutions will receive support (materials or equipment for the school) worth up to 10,000 MDL
• 9 of the 30 winning institutions will receive support to set up a mini “green” laboratory for soil, water, and air analysis, as well as energy efficiency monitoring (kits for rapid testing of water/soil, air quality sensors, energy efficiency evaluation devices)
• 7 of the 30 winning institutions will receive support for developing disaster risk adaptation plans
• Partnership agreement with the National Environmental Center NGO
• Participation diplomas for all participants
• Participation certificates for teachers

Important: Only one grant will be awarded per institution.

Team registration: Participants must complete the registration form by October 13, 2025, or send the registration documents (Registration Form and Responsibility Statement) to [email protected] with the subject line: EcoEd – School for a Green Future – [Institution Name].

Evaluation: Applications will be assessed by a panel of experts based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of the problem
• Originality of the solution
• Justification of the action
• Motivation for involvement
• Feasibility of implementation in the community
• Impact on community and environment

Each criterion will be scored from 1 to 10.

Results: The selection results will be published on October 20, 2025, on www.environment.md, on the official Facebook page of the National Environmental Center, on unicef.md and UNICEF Moldova’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Selected teams will also be notified by email.

Late submissions or projects not meeting the conditions of this regulation will not be accepted.

For questions, contact [email protected] or call +373 79812721.

Participate and help build sustainability in your community!