Green warriors: The UMWT management team posing for a photo with the TEY winners.
SCHOOLS from Perak, Sabah and Kedah shone brightly at the recent Toyota Eco Youth (TEY) programme, with SMK Choong Hua, SM Sung Siew and SMK Alor Janggus bagging the top three prizes, respectively.
In addition to being crowned champion, SMK Choong Hua won the “Best Social Media” award, with Lee Tack Hooi and Yeak Hwai Keen receiving the “Most Supportive Teacher” nod.
First runner-up SM Sung Siew also won “Best Presentation”, while second runner-up SMK Alor Janggus bagged the “Best Exhibition” award.
The schools were among 10 TEY finalists nationwide, which included SMK Bukit Batu (Johor), SMK Sultan Ismail (Kelantan), SMK Seri Bentong (Pahang), SMK Bukit Indah (Selangor), SMK Bandar Samariang (Sarawak), SM Saint Anne (Labuan) and SMK Putrajaya Presint 8(1) (Putrajaya).
The teams presented their projects to a panel of judges on Nov 13, demonstrating their creative and impactful solutions to help address local community ecological concerns, which concluded the 23rd edition of the TEY programme at a hotel in Shah Alam, Selangor.
Judging criteria emphasised originality, clarity, relevance and creativity. On-site judging contributed 40% to each school’s final score, with additional points awarded for project presentations, exhibitions and social media engagement.
The outstanding environmental projects were showcased during the three-day TEY exhibition and convention, held from Nov 12 to 14, organised by UMW Toyota Motors Sdn Bhd (UMWT).
The TEY programme, a national-level environmental education initiative, was launched on May 9, with participation from 15 schools nationwide, involving students aged 13 to 17.
Participants engaged in an eight-step problem-solving methodology, fostering critical thinking and practical problem-solving skills.
Each school was given an RM3,000 grant to initiate their projects, which addressed environmental challenges aligned with Toyota’s Environmental Challenge 2050 and its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
This year’s awards, part of a prize pool totalling RM77,000, underscored UMWT’s commitment to incentivising innovation and creativity in environmental conservation among youth.
Since its inception in 2001, the programme has involved almost 600 schools and more than 300,000 students nationwide.
The programme is part of UMWT’s corporate social responsibility efforts to empower youth to actively address ecological challenges in their communities.
“TEY is a crucial step in cultivating a new generation of environmental stewards, which also contributes to our goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and ensures that these projects have a lasting impact in local communities and beyond the conclusion of this year’s programme,” said UMWT president Datuk Ravindran K.
For details on TEY 2025, visit toyota.com.my/toyotaecoyouth/.
