The ESD Okayama Award recognizes outstanding ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) activities undertaken around the world. This year, two projects have been selected for the award from a shortlist of 10 projects that passed in the first round of selection.
This year saw a record number of applications: 346 projects from 81 countries worldwide. Ten projects from Asia, Africa, South America and Europe were selected for the final review.
The ESD Okayama Award 2025 Ceremony will be held as part of the 14th Global RCE Conference on Tuesday 21 October 2025 at the Okayama Convention Centre (14-1 Ekimoto-machi, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Japan). Representatives of the organizations of the winning-projects will be invited to present their projects at the ceremony.
EduMobile: The Ombombo Mobile Environmental Education
EduVentures Trust
(Republic of Namibia)
2,4,7,10,11,12,13,14,15 & 17
Since 2003, EduVentures, the National Museum of Namibia's educational outreach programme, has been dedicated to promoting environmental awareness, sustainable development, and cultural heritage among learners, teachers, youth and communities. Since 2014, it has implemented the EduMobile, a mobile environmental education initiative that brings experiential learning directly to underserved school communities across the country. The programme’s main goal is to supplement the Namibian school curriculum with hands-on, place-based education on environmental and sustainability issues. While it places particular emphasis on biodiversity, climate change, renewable energy, agroecology, waste management, and the SDGs, it also addresses a wide range of other environmental topics relevant to Namibia’s context. Key components include mobile exhibitions, explainer videos, SDG-themed educational games, bush cinema nights, environmental career guidance, teacher development, and many other interactive learning activities. EduVentures also practices inclusivity by ensuring access for hearing and visually impaired learners, as well as other marginalized groups. To date, EduVentures has reached more than 15,000 beneficiaries, over 100 schools, and has contributed to more than 30 national and 5 regional events.
【Photos by EduVentures Trust, Ombombo Mobile Classroom Project】
CUMBRE Territorial Learning Incubator for Youth Led Sustainable Solutions
National Unified Corporation of Higher
Education
(Republic of Colombia)
4,5,8,10, 11 & 13
The National Unified Corporation of Higher Education is an education organization with over 30 years of experience and a presence in more than 12 regions across Colombia. Since its inception in 2021, it has run the CUMBRE program as an educational incubator that connects secondary education with technical training, enabling young people from the age of 14 to lead sustainable solutions rooted in their own territories. Participants can access early technical training in areas such as agriculture, commerce, tourism and social technologies, and receive personalized mentoring from university professors, business leaders, and volunteers. They can continue into higher education with their technical training as credits or turn their ideas into functional projects with support. The projects presented at the CUMBRE often evolve into small enterprises that generate income for them or become collaborative solutions that directly improve conditions in their communities. To date, over 2,000 young people have completed the program and successfully developed sustainable projects, with more than 7,000 having participated in the learning activities and over 200 territorial projects with environmental, social, or economic impact having been generated.
【Photos by National Unified Corporation of Higher Education】