Sustainathon event banner.
P150,000 in prize money at stake for the best solution to promote inclusive education.
This article is published in collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization, is bringing the TCS Sustainathon to the Philippines this month. With the overarching theme of “Reimagining Education,” the Sustainathon 2021 hopes to enable senior high school and college students to join discussions on pressing issues surrounding education and develop ideas on how to have an “Inclusive Education for All in 2030.”
TCS Sustainathon was initially launched in Singapore in 2020 with the theme of Combating Food Waste. It served as a platform for young minds to collaborate with private companies, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to co-create solutions for real world sustainability issues using digital technologies. Ninety-eight students from more than 15 educational institutions in Singapore developed plans on fighting food waste, which has been one of the major challenges faced by many countries.
This year, TCS expands its initiative to the Philippines and Malaysia to promote inclusivity in education as these countries implement blended and flexible learning.
“Education across the world has been greatly affected by the pandemic. Filipino students, in particular, face challenges in coping with changes but they continue to make extra efforts to pursue learning. We witnessed students in Singapore last year in the pilot run of TCS Sustainathon being passionately involved in key issues and sharing their ideas. We at TCS Philippines are excited to see the ideas Filipino students have on improving education,” shares TCS Philippines Country Head Shiju Varghese.
Creating a learning environment conducive for all
More than 23 million students are enrolled in both public and private schools nationwide for the school year 2020–2021, according to the Department of Education. With blended learning still the mode of education, teachers and students alike face challenges in internet accessibility, mobility, and learning materials, among others.
Envisioning an improved educational system in the coming years, TCS Philippines invites Filipino students to join the TCS Sustainathon 2021. Senior high school and college students from public and private institutions across the country are welcome to participate either individually, or a team with a maximum of four members. Each individual or team must choose a challenge statement and create ideas or solutions to address the challenge statement, on the theme “Inclusive Education for all in 2030.” Entries must incorporate the use of technology to create innovative, practical, and concrete solutions for the chosen challenge.
Participants can register and submit their entries at the TCS Sustainathon Philippines website until 19 November. The 1st place winner will receive P150,000 while the second and third placers will receive P100,000 and P50,000, respectively. The top two winners will compete alongside Sustainathon Singapore and Malaysia winners at the ASEAN Championship in March 2022.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is TCS Sustainathon’s Strategic Partner. Challenge Partners include Converge ICT Solutions, Inc., Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Philippines, Inc., Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, which will provide the challenge statements while the Outreach Partners, Edukasyon.ph, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network–Youth, and ADB Southeast Asia Development Solutions (SEADS) will provide support to boost awareness about the TCS Sustainathon initiative.
