Muntinlupa HS a finalist in World's Best School Prizes for environmental action
The Muntinlupa National High School (MNHS) emerged as a finalist in the World’s Best School Prizes for environmental action.
The World’s Best School Prizes are a project of the United Kingdom-based “BVU Ventures Ltd trading as T4 Education and were set up with the aim of showcasing excellence in schools through a prize competition format.”
Muntinlupa National High School (Photos from the T4 website)
Environmental action, according to information from the competition website, “recognizes the importance of youth, students and schools in climate action and who engage with solutions for global warming and climate crisis.” “Seeking to mitigate and reverse the adverse impact of climate change on the planet, and all species, and the issues of uncertainty, inequity and poverty that results from it, taking individual and collective responsibility for the environment and a focus on the importance of sustainability is key for all schools and their communities,” it added. MNHS is the lone finalist from the Philippines and is competing with Agora Portals International School (Spain), Colegio Johannes Kepler (Ecuador), EEMTI Jaime Tomaz de Aquino (Brazil), Escuela Secundaria Pdte. Domingo F. Sarmiento (Argentina), Institución Educativa Municipal Montessori sede San Francisco (Colombia), Al Mamoura Academy (United Arab Emirates), New Myrnam School (Canada), Silibwet Secondary School (Kenya) and The Harbour School (Hong Kong, China). The project of MNHS, located in Barangay Poblacion in Muntinlupa, is the Revitalized Algae Microfarm Project (RevAMP), which “harnesses the potential of microalgae and embraces an integrative approach to education, transforming the school landscape and spearheading tangible solutions to combat pollution and revolutionize climate action,” according to the competition website. It stated that MNHS “lacked adequate ventilation systems, where poor quality of air seeped into the classrooms passing through windows and other open spaces, hindering the conducive students' learning environment." "In response, the school launched ReVamp, adopting algaculture techniques and photobioreactors to cultivate the Chlorella Vulgaris algae, renowned for its exceptional ability to absorb greenhouse gasses and pollutants,” it added. MNHS “integrated RevAMP into the curriculum, establishing a learning laboratory to provide students with a means to explore and invent valuable outcomes for the algae that serve the community's needs. Thus, the students have discovered that algae, known as a superfood, can be used for various economic advantages, such as food production, medicine, and supplements.” “The Chlorella vulgaris algae’s absorption capacity reaches an impressive 17,000 to 18,000 tons of carbon dioxide per acre per year. Microalgae also serve as effective purifying agents for potential clean water source solutions in rural and remote areas. It is also an affordable energy alternative, such as converting it into biodiesel, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and promoting sustainable practices,” it added. It added that “if Muntinlupa National High School wins the World's Best School Prize for Environmental Action, the school intends to further expand the RevAMP project for a sustainable future and enable the school community to become self-sufficient and independent in meeting their needs.”
Muntinlupa National High School (Photos from the T4 website)
Environmental action, according to information from the competition website, “recognizes the importance of youth, students and schools in climate action and who engage with solutions for global warming and climate crisis.” “Seeking to mitigate and reverse the adverse impact of climate change on the planet, and all species, and the issues of uncertainty, inequity and poverty that results from it, taking individual and collective responsibility for the environment and a focus on the importance of sustainability is key for all schools and their communities,” it added. MNHS is the lone finalist from the Philippines and is competing with Agora Portals International School (Spain), Colegio Johannes Kepler (Ecuador), EEMTI Jaime Tomaz de Aquino (Brazil), Escuela Secundaria Pdte. Domingo F. Sarmiento (Argentina), Institución Educativa Municipal Montessori sede San Francisco (Colombia), Al Mamoura Academy (United Arab Emirates), New Myrnam School (Canada), Silibwet Secondary School (Kenya) and The Harbour School (Hong Kong, China). The project of MNHS, located in Barangay Poblacion in Muntinlupa, is the Revitalized Algae Microfarm Project (RevAMP), which “harnesses the potential of microalgae and embraces an integrative approach to education, transforming the school landscape and spearheading tangible solutions to combat pollution and revolutionize climate action,” according to the competition website. It stated that MNHS “lacked adequate ventilation systems, where poor quality of air seeped into the classrooms passing through windows and other open spaces, hindering the conducive students' learning environment." "In response, the school launched ReVamp, adopting algaculture techniques and photobioreactors to cultivate the Chlorella Vulgaris algae, renowned for its exceptional ability to absorb greenhouse gasses and pollutants,” it added. MNHS “integrated RevAMP into the curriculum, establishing a learning laboratory to provide students with a means to explore and invent valuable outcomes for the algae that serve the community's needs. Thus, the students have discovered that algae, known as a superfood, can be used for various economic advantages, such as food production, medicine, and supplements.” “The Chlorella vulgaris algae’s absorption capacity reaches an impressive 17,000 to 18,000 tons of carbon dioxide per acre per year. Microalgae also serve as effective purifying agents for potential clean water source solutions in rural and remote areas. It is also an affordable energy alternative, such as converting it into biodiesel, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and promoting sustainable practices,” it added. It added that “if Muntinlupa National High School wins the World's Best School Prize for Environmental Action, the school intends to further expand the RevAMP project for a sustainable future and enable the school community to become self-sufficient and independent in meeting their needs.”