Spreading a green lifestyle, starting with Eco-Schools

A distinctive social space amid rising pollution

The ASEAN Eco-Schools Viet Nam 2025 Award is not only an initiative recognizing outstanding environmental education models; it is increasingly asserting itself as a distinctive social space where education, the environment, and the community converge. As plastic pollution, climate change, and resource depletion become global challenges, embedding green values into schools is widely seen as a fundamental, long-term, and sustainable pathway.

One of the most visible features of this year’s award is its expanded scale, both in the number of participating schools and in its broader social reach. With nearly 300 submissions from diverse regions-urban, rural, mountainous, and island areas - the award highlights the growing appeal of the eco-school model within Vietnam’s education system. Participation across all education levels, from primary to upper secondary, reflects an increasingly clear demand and concern for environmental education from an early age.

According to Professor Dr. Dang Thi Kim Chi, former Vice Director of the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (Hanoi University of Science and Technology), organizing the ASEAN Eco-Schools Viet Nam 2025 Award directly addresses urgent needs, not only for Vietnam but globally, in efforts to protect the environment and promote sustainable development. “If we want to tackle environmental problems at their roots, we must begin with each individual, each family, and especially with students-the future stewards of society. From this perspective, schools are not merely places for knowledge transmission; they are where habits, lifestyles, and civic responsibility toward the environment are formed,” she emphasized.

The selection of the theme “Plastic-Free Schools” for the 2025 season reflects a direct and practical approach to a pressing environmental issue. Beyond awareness-raising, many schools have translated the theme into concrete action plans, including source-based waste segregation, recycling, reuse, and reducing single-use plastics in daily school life. Notably, these models are not short-term campaigns but are designed to drive lasting behavioral change among students, teachers, and even parents.

Bui Duc Hieu, Deputy Director General of the International Cooperation Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) and Vice Chair of the Award Selection Council, said the ASEAN Eco-Schools Viet Nam 2025 Award is now regarded as one of the most wide-reaching and influential initiatives in environmental education in Vietnam. From the launch stage, the award has received strong support from the media, with hundreds of related stories published. This has been a crucial factor in enabling eco-school models to extend beyond school boundaries and reach the wider community.

Sustainable change from schools to society

Beyond scale, the Award places clear emphasis on depth and sustainability. Professor Dang Thi Kim Chi highlighted the importance of students’ active participation, the connection between schools, families, and communities, and tangible outcomes that demonstrate changes in awareness and behavior. In her view, these real-world results are the most meaningful indicators of effective environmental education.

The 2ASEAN Eco-Schools Viet Nam 2025 Award Ceremony is expected to be held on a large scale, bringing together hundreds of teachers, students, and representatives from domestic and international organizations. According to Vu Minh Viet, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Agriculture and Nature News, bringing all award-winning schools to Hanoi - including those from remote border and island areas- is not only a form of recognition but also a powerful message about the value of environmental education in modern society.

Vu Minh Viet also underscored the role of the media in accompanying and amplifying eco-school models. “When stories of green living and small but practical student initiatives are told vividly, they can inspire and generate positive social impact far beyond the scope of a single award,” he said.

The Award is not merely about selecting exemplary models; it also helps shape a new approach to environmental education -one that views students as agents of change, schools as spaces for practicing green lifestyles, and communities as extensions of the educational process.

Looking ahead, expectations for the award go beyond continued growth in participation. The longer-term goal is to ensure that eco-school models are sustained, replicated, and adapted to local conditions. When everyday actions such as waste sorting, reducing single-use plastics, recycling, and conserving resources become routine in schools, they follow students into broader social life, creating durable change from the ground up.

The ASEAN Eco-Schools Viet Nam 2025 Award will continue to serve as a bridge between policy, education, and community, contributing to the development of a young generation of citizens who are responsible toward the environment and committed to the country’s sustainable future.