Youth For The Future

The future of sustainability lies with the youth of today. To effectively address issues on sustainability, climate change and human impact on the environment, young people must be included in the solution as they have the capacity to be the bringers of change. Through young people gaining an understanding of and responsibility towards achieving a sustainable lifestyle, the broader community also becomes aware of environmental issues and challenges. Youth For The Future aims to educate young people through promoting a greater awareness of sustainability issues and inculcating them with the knowledge, actions and activities to create a sustainable lifestyle.

In Partnership with

Green Growth Asia Foundation's (GGAF) aim is to respond to sustainability challenges in Asia through ‘green growth’ programmes – initiatives that drive economic prosperity through social inclusivity and environmental responsibility, and through advancing education programmes.

GGAF have been responsible for driving the launch of the global Eco-Schools Programme in Malaysia and managing its implementation with schools as a support to the existing school curriculum, in partnership with the state government. By giving pupils the necessary knowledge and tools to identify and address environmental issues in their school, a positive ripple effect is created impacting the youth, their families, schools and local authorities. The highly successful launch of the programme in Melaka has led to the Kedah launch, where a total of 36 primary and secondary schools have been selected to pilot the programme. We are currently sponsoring 3 schools in Langkawi and are working closely with them on their sustainability curriculum.

greengrowthasia.org

Objectives & Achievements

Our goal is to strengthen youth education and action for sustainability programmes, and to implement the remainder of the Eco-Schools education programme for the 3 sponsored Langkawi schools, with the aim of inculcating pupils on sustainability through action-based learning.

Engage in an Educational Community Partnership

Together with partner NGO Green Growth Asia Foundation, we sponsor three schools in Langkawi (Sekolah Kebangsaan Ewa, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Putra and Sekolah Kebangsaan Temonyong) to participate in the Kedah Eco-Schools Programme. Eco-Schools is the world’s largest sustainable education programme, present in 68 countries and 52,000 schools. It supports the goals of the United Nations (UNESCO) Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The Eco-Schools initiative has a 3-year programme cycle that comprises preparation, implementation and reporting.

/Young%20Reporter%20for%20the%20Environment%20visit

Implement Complimentary Educational Programmes

As part of the Young Reporters for the Environment programme organised by Green Growth Asia Foundation (GGAF), local school students have visited The Datai Langkawi and educated on The Datai Pledge’s efforts. This programme gives young people aged 10-24 years a platform to research environmental issues and promote solutions through investigative reporting, photography, and video journalism. Webinars with team members for The Datai Pledge have been conducted and for the second year consecutively, our pillar leader joined a panel of evaluators for the programme’s essay competition. The award ceremony was held at The Datai Langkawi, with Arnaud Girodon presenting the awards to the 6 winners.

Promote Continuous Learning

Through the Global Youth Schools Webinar Programme, The Datai Pledge Pillar Leaders and other key personnel conduct webinars on various themes around sustainability, eco-tourism and conservation to schools in Malaysia and around the world. This project is part of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) programme, affiliated with the Eco-Schools Programme. To date, 1,233 local and international pupils have been reached through this series, with our webinar on ‘Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry’ setting a new record high of 890 participants.

Making A Difference

Johan Abdullah, Pillar Leader, Youth For The Future, The Datai Pledge | Director of Human Resources, The Datai Langkawi

I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside...

"The above is an excerpt from the song lyrics of ‘The Greatest Love of All’ by the late Whitney Houston. Its meaningful message inspired me to lead this Pillar with the help of our other partners – the NGOs and social enterprises, Pillar Leaders and the leadership team at The Datai Langkawi. Having raised four children of my own, I am deeply committed to the importance of early education to establish a rapport and respect with nature. I wish to thank Sri Themudu, Programme Director, Green Growth Asia Foundation (GGAF) whose commitment and deep understanding in dealing with various stakeholders contributed to the success story of the Kedah Eco-School Programme, in which Youth For The Future is participating. Without a doubt, the programme will sow the seeds of hope for the regeneration efforts that we are ultimately aiming for."

Sri Themudu, Programme Director, Green Growth Asia Foundation (GGAF)

"Our Eco-Schools Programme does not ask teenagers to save the earth. It invites them to participate in a captivating and rewarding learning process in which the activities contribute to their personality development and are also beneficial for the planet and humankind. Rather than teaching about sustainability issues in an abstract way in the classroom, the GGAF - DATAI PLEDGE collaboration creates a framework for schools and pupils to do concrete work for sustainable development in a real-life context."

/Norliza%20Learning%20%26%20Development%20Manager

Norliza Selamat Din, Learning and Development Manager, The Datai Langkawi

“For me, there is nothing more special than seeing children grow up to be the best person they can be. As adults with different upbringings, environments and experiences of our own that we cherish, we are able to share these with them to help them learn, value and explore their true potential and shape a better world. At The Datai Langkawi, it is my duty to introduce all newcomers to our values and that begins with the care, appreciation and responsibility towards nature.”