Press statement by Ms Josephine Tan, General Manager of Penang Green Council on 1^st February 2021.

Despite the fact that Covid-19 pandemic outbreak is affecting our health, environmental issues that raised along will equally threaten our life as well as the sustainability of Mother Earth. Therefore, creating awareness and the continuity of environmental education should not stop right here. To adapt to the ‘new norm’, Penang Green School Award and Penang Green Kindy Incentive Programme will go digital in 2021. Schools and kindergarten are welcome to register to take part in these programmes.

Penang Green School Award Programme is an annual environmental audit programme for both primary and secondary schools in Penang. This award programme aims to educate our future generation on environmental issues especially about waste, water and energy conservation as well as to inculcate the love for our environment among the students and communities. It is a programme by Penang Green Council in collaboration with both local councils – MBPP & MBSP since 2011.

There has been an encouraging rise in the numbers of participating schools from both Penang Island and Seberang Perai from 54 schools in 2010 to 241 schools in 2019. As we celebrated the 10^th anniversary of Penang Green School Programme last year, the success of this programme also carved a path for PGC to introduce the Penang Green Kindy Incentive Programme. This is an environmental audit programme specially designed for the kindergartens in Penang. Unfortunately, these two programmes were postponed in 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 virus worldwide.

With these two programmes resuming digitally this year, applicants will be able to register, submit reports, get audited and attend the virtual prize giving ceremony online this year end. The 4 criteria outlined in the programme assessment are Resource Efficiency, Innovation and Creativity, Cleanliness and Greening, and Digital Involvement. It will be assessed in District Level and the State Level where the District Level audit is carried out by both local councils (MBPP & MBSP) at their respective zones and the State Level audit is carried out by Penang Green Council. The champion will be awarded up to RM5,000.00 from the State, while 3 additional special prizes will be awarded to outstanding schools too!

As for the Penang Green Kindy Incentives Programme, the assessment criteria outlined include Saving Electricity, Water Conservation, Waste Management, Cleanliness & Greening. Top 10 kindergartens with the highest results will receive an incentive of RM500, which will be presented during our Green Pinang Award Presentation Ceremony 2021 this coming November.

PGC would like to thank Penang Development Corporation (PDC) for once again co-organising these programmes by generously sponsoring the Penang Green School Awards and Penang Green Kindy Incentives. Since 2019, PDC has been showing great support as a partner and instrumental in making the incentives a success.

Meanwhile, Kids CEO Play land Sdn Bhd will also be sponsoring 2,000 free entrance tickets to the first 10 preschools or kindergartens who register for the Penang Green Kindy Incentive programme. This collaboration is part of KidsCEO Playland’s CSR programme – a space provider for kids to take a break from online learning and enjoy themselves with all the fun facilities in it. Check out their Facebook page: @kidsceoplayland for more details.

We always believe that education in the early years for our children will help to shape their personalities and values in their life. Therefore, it is our responsibility to guide them and instil knowledge that will lead them to create a more sustainable world. By taking part in these programmes, students are given opportunities to learn more about ways and alternatives in managing our resources as well as understanding the importance of taking care of our environment.

These two programmes will be opened for registration from 1^st February to 31^st May 2021. For more information on these programmes, kindly contact Ms Kimberly or Ms Ashawani at 04-2503322.