Elementary School SDGs Essay Contest
To embody "Respect for the Earth," one of our core values, employee volunteers have continued activities such as beach cleaning and tree planting. As employees' families naturally began to participate, we witnessed children reacting more sensitively than adults to environmental issues like marine plastic pollution and abandoned farmland problems.
From these experiences, we hosted an essay contest aimed at providing local elementary school students an opportunity to think about nature. The total number of submissions exceeded 200 from the first contest.
First Contest
Theme:
What eco-activities are you practicing?
How can we clean up the seas and mountains?
How can we breathe clean air?
Application period: 2021.7.28 - 2021.9.28
Awards ceremony: 2021.11.28
Special judge:
Soichiro Takashima, Mayor of Fukuoka City
Judges:
Ryoji Miyawaki, CEO of Aakel
Hiroyuki Hayashi, Representative of THINNING/GOOD DAILY HUNT
Karen Hashimoto, CEO of Camp Joshi Co., Ltd.
Second Contest
Theme:
What eco-activities are you practicing?
How can we clean up the seas and mountains?
Application period: 2022.7.1 - 2022.9.30
Awards ceremony: 2022.10.22
Judges:
Ryoji Miyawaki, CEO of Aakel
Hiroyuki Hayashi, Representative of THINNING/GOOD DAILY HUNT
Yumi Highfield, Town's Small Bookstore Owner/Writer
Prince Ehon-kun from the Picture Book Kingdom
Third Contest
Theme:
What is my favorite nature, and how can we protect it?
How can we eliminate waste from nature and cities?
Application period: 2023.7.1 - 2023.9.30
Awards ceremony: 2023.11.11
Judges:
Ryoji Miyawaki, CEO of Aakel
Hiroyuki Hayashi, Representative of THINNING/GOOD DAILY HUNT
Yumi Highfield, Town's Small Bookstore Owner/Writer
Patrick Hock, Eco Captain from Germany
Comment from our CEO Ryoji Miyawaki:
We planned this essay contest as one of our investments in the future. To solve environmental problems, including global warming, changes in the behavior of each of us citizens are required. I believe that whether one can actively change their behavior is largely influenced by the feelings towards the Earth and nature that are nurtured through interactions with nature during childhood. Including myself, all the judges have learned a lot through their interactions with nature and have arrived at their current professions. We hope that providing a platform for children to think about nature and put it into words will be one contribution to creating a better future for us all.
