Save the Children Viet Nam assists future teacher in disaster risk education

On October 10, VDDMA, in collaboration with the Youth Union of Hanoi National University of Education and Hong Duc University, organized the contest “Green lesson plans - Safe future”: Developing and implementing lesson plans on disaster prevention and climate change adaptation.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Director Nguyen Van Tien affirmed that children and young people are the future of our nation. Investing in their education means investing in the community’s resilience for the years to come. He also emphasized that today’s students, tomorrow’s teachers, serve as vital bridges of knowledge, “the seed sowers” who spread disaster preparedness skills to every student, every family, and every community.

“This contest is not merely an academic playground; it is a journey of spreading knowledge and fostering a proactive spirit in disaster preparedness,” Mr. Tien said. “Through each lesson plan and creative idea, I can see the students’ strong aspiration to bring disaster risk reduction education closer to the community, especially to schoolchildren, the young sprouts of our nation’s future."

He believed each student had contributed to a greater mission - a mission to spread knowledge, raise community awareness, and nurture a generation that is proactive and resilient in the face of disasters and climate change.

According to Mr. Vuong Dinh Giap, Program Implementation Director of Save the Children in Viet Nam, disasters and climate change are increasingly leaving visible impacts on people’s lives. Therefore, preparing the young generation should go beyond providing essential knowledge; it must also nurture life skills for safety and a mindset of sustainable adaptation.

“With over 30 years of operation in Viet Nam, Save the Children has been committed to ensuring that every child lives safely, learns, and grows in a sustainable environment. We have been working with local partners to build a comprehensive ecosystem that helps children strengthen their resilience to disasters and climate change, with the participation of children themselves, their parents and caregivers, schools, and communities.

Today’s competition is an important activity within that ecosystem. By engaging education students - the future teachers - we are empowering those who will directly pass on knowledge and life-saving skills to schoolchildren, the young generation who stand at the heart of every positive change,” Mr. Giap shared.

At the closing and award ceremony of the contest “Green Lesson Plans – Safe Future”, the Organizing Committee honored outstanding lesson plans that showcased creativity and innovation in disaster prevention and climate change education. Among them, the lesson plan “Climate Change and Adaptation to Climate Change” won First Prize, while “Impacts of Natural Disasters on the Situation in Dang Ngoai during the First Half of the 18th Century” received Second Prize, and “A Safe Childhood in the Context of Climate Change” earned Third Prize.

Several additional prizes were also presented, including Best Use of Technology, Most Inspirational Team, Best Localized Lesson, and Encouragement Awards, recognizing the dedication and effort of participating groups. The contest contributed to spreading the spirit of “green teaching,” nurturing proactive disaster preparedness, and building a safer, more sustainable future for the community.

Since the beginning of 2025, 20 types of natural disasters have occurred across Viet Nam. As of October 8, disasters have claimed 234 lives, left others missing, and injured 367 people. More than 220,000 houses have been damaged or had their roofs blown off; over 550,000 hectares of rice, crops, and plants have been inundated, along with significant losses in livestock and aquaculture. The total economic damage is estimated at over VND 33,500 billion (approximately USD 1.3 billion).

Globally, 2025 has also witnessed numerous severe natural disasters: a 7.9-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar that killed 5,500 people, wildfires in the United States causing losses exceeding USD 50 billion, and prolonged flooding in Pakistan that claimed more than 700 lives.