PETALING JAYA: The #StandTogether Kindness Competition 2020 is now open for entries from all schools and universities in Malaysia.
University students are included in this year’s competition, in a new category. Alongside secondary and primary schools, all stand a chance to win grants of up to RM3,000 to carry out their kindness activities.
The theme for the competition this year is to “reimagine a world filled with kindness and empathy.” One grand prize winner for each category will take home the RM3,000 while there are 40 grants worth RM1,000 each up for grabs. The grant funding for winning schools is from Unicef Malaysia.
This is in conjunction with the competition's goal, which is to encourage student-led ideas on how to make their school a kinder and safer place.
The submission deadline for the grant proposal is the 29th November 2020 and to participate, students have to first sign up for the Kindness Leadership Programme.
The campaign focused primarily on secondary schools during its inaugural year.
"The grant would be an added push for students to participate in the competition and this year we decided to open it up to university students because there was a lot of interest from them in the previous years" said SP Setia head of group branding and communications Adelene Wong.
“We learn kindness best by feeling it, and during this challenging period where everyone is trying to accept and settle into the new norm, it is important that we do not take this for granted.” she added.
The #StandTogether campaign was founded in 2017 by R.AGE and SP Setia to kickstart a “Kindness Revolution” in Malaysia, with the aim to end bullying in schools. 171 primary and secondary schools signed up for the Kindness Competition in 2019.
The campaign quickly gained support from key stakeholders, including the Education Ministry, Unicef Malaysia, Digi, Study Hub Asia and Teach For Malaysia.
Every year, thousands of students and teachers in Malaysia participate in kindness and empathy programmes as part of the campaign, resulting in national and international recognition including at the 2018 World Digital Media Awards.
It was also mentioned in a 2020 United Nations report as an example of successful youth-driven initiatives to curb violence against children.
This year, the inaugural Kindness Leadership Programme will give students access to educational modules on empathy and youth leadership, Zoom Parties with celebrity ambassadors and industry leaders, anda Kindness Grant worth RM1,000 to run their own kindness projects in schools.
Students under 21 in Malaysia can sign up for the Kindness Leadership Programme at www.standtogether.my/kindnessleaders.
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