Vicente Nicolás Balaguer Primary School in Manises, winner of the EDP Fundation's "Give Voice to the Earth: Ideas for sustainability" competition
Yesterday, the EDP Foundation held the final of the school competition "Give Voice to the Earth: Ideas for Sustainability", an educational initiative that is part of the Energy School programme, designed to promote sustainability, energy efficiency and environmental awareness among upper primary school students. In total, 350 children from 13 schools in the province of Valencia participated in this edition's final gala, sharing ideas and projects that seek to make the planet a better place from their own environments.
Vicente Nicolás Balaguer School in Manises was chosen as the winner by a jury composed of Carla Aliño, a journalist at the EFE News Agency; Belén Sánchez, Representative of Socaire, an energy consultancy with social impact that collaborates with the EDP Foundation; and Ramon Vidal, operations and asset maintenance coordinator at E-Redes, a distributor within the EDP group. The jury particulary praised the students' creativity and teamwork, as well as the practicality of their ideas, which could be easily implemented at the school.
Furthermore, the Special Reconstruction Award, worth €3,000, in recognition of the needs arising from the DANA, was awarded to La Inmaculada School in Paiporta.
Original, diverse and talent-filled projects
The proposals made by the students stood out for their great diversity and creativity, including songs, podcasts, animated stories, puppets, stories, videos, and technology projects. The students addressed topics such as recycling, energy saving, renewable energy, respect for nature, and everyday sustainability. Through a wide variety of formats—from batucadas to eco-friendly superheroes and ideas for energy independence—they demonstrated a deep commitment toward caring for the planet and an enormous capacity to communicate this in an original and engaging way.
Arwa Elbouzdoudi, a student at the Santísimo Cristo de la Fe School, stated, “We made a presentation in a video podcast format, and it was really cool,” adding, “We came here thinking about winning because we worked incredibly hard, but we were also focused on the contest itself, because it gave us the opportunity to participate and be chosen.” Martín Fuentes, from the Mare de Déu de Vallivana Primary School, outlined some of the proposals in his project, which include “the installation of solar panels and their technical features, the responsible use of energy and water, the creation of a bicycle parking area, and encouraging students to walk to school.” Finally, Lucía García, from the Lluís Guarner School, highlighted the impact of sustainable initiatives, pointing out that “good deeds are contagious and small actions can lead to great achievements. You don't need superpowers, just people who want to take care of the planet.”
During her speech, the director of the EDP Foundation, Vanda Martins, emphasised that “caring for the planet also makes us better people, and today all these children have shown that they are ready to lead the change that the world needs”.
The gala, held at the Joaquín Rodrigo Theater in Sagunto, brought together the following schools: CEIP San Luis (Buñol), CEIP Camí de l'Horta, CEIP Rodríguez Fornos, CEIP Vicente Nicolau Balaguer, CEIP IVAF Luis Fortich, La Inmaculada School, CEIP L’Ermita, Santísimo Cristo de la Fe, CEIP Lluís Guarner, CEIP Los Pinos, CEIP Mare de Déu de Vallivana, CEIP Ausiàs March de Alzira, and CEIP Ausiàs March de Sagunto.
With this year's edition of Dale Voz a la Tierra (Give Voice to the Earth), held in Sagunto after visiting Madrid, Oviedo, Seville, and Algeciras, the EDP Foundation continues to promote a “green culture” through sustainable initiatives among young people.