UAE School Wins Global Environmental Award For Integrating Eco Literacy In Curriculum

Arbor School - an independent kindergarten, primary, and secondary school in Al Furjan, Dubai - received the award for integrating Eco Literacy into its curriculum. The school focuses on developing critical thinkers and problem-solvers through real-world projects addressing waste reduction, energy efficiency, and other environmental challenges.

The five World's Best School Prizes , launched in 2022 in the wake of Covid to highlight schools transforming lives both inside and beyond the classroom, are considered the world's most prestigious global school awards.

Gemma Thornley, Principal of Arbor School, said,“On behalf of our entire Arbor School community in Dubai, I am deeply honoured to accept the World Best School Award for Environmental Action. This incredible recognition is a tribute to our students who take environmental action, not because it's required, but because it's right. It's for our passionate staff, our dedicated families, and the wider UAE, who share our belief that education must equip young people to lead in a climate-challenged world.”

Winners are selected by an expert Judging Academy based on rigorous criteria. The Community Choice Award went to ZP School Jalindarnagar, in Taluka Khed, Maharashtra, India, after it received the most votes in a public vote among the 50 schools shortlisted across the five World's Best School Prizes.

The winners will be invited to the World Schools Summit in Abu Dhabi on November 15-16, where they will share their best practices and unique expertise with policymakers and leading figures in global education.

Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and the World's Best School Prizes, said,“I want to congratulate Arbor School in Dubai, UAE, on the tremendous achievement of winning this global schools prize.

“Our world stands at a crossroads. We need leaders who can rise to the 21st century's greatest challenges, from climate breakdown to the AI revolution, from war to want, from populism to prejudice. Above all, we need leaders who recognise that at the heart of all these crucial questions lies the enlightenment of a quality education.

“It is in schools like yours that leaders worldwide can find the answers they need. As the winner of the World's Best School Prize for Environmental Action, your trailblazing work will inspire educators and policymakers across the globe. Thank you for everything you do.”

Other winners of the 2025 World's Best School Prizes include:

• Franklin School, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA – Prize for Innovation

• A Favor del Niño, Mexico City, Mexico – Prize for Community Collaboration

• Escola Estadual Parque dos Sonhos, Cubatão, São Paulo, Brazil – Prize for Overcoming Adversity

• SK Putrajaya Presint 11(1), WP Putrajaya, Malaysia – Prize for Supporting Healthy Lives

MENAFN24092025000049011007ID1110106644