LAUNCH OF THE “GREEN STEM INNOVATION 2025” COURSE IN DA NANG

Da Nang, September 14, 2025 – Within the framework of the Healthy Cities for Adolescents (HCA) – Phase II project in Da Nang, funded by the Botnar Foundation and managed by Ecorys, UNICEF Viet Nam, in collaboration with the Viet Nam–UK Institute for Research & Executive Education (VNUK), University of Da Nang, successfully launched the “Green STEM Innovation 2025” STEM Course at the Maker Innovation Space of VNUK.

Elevating STEM Creativity through Practical STEM Education

With the theme STEM Innovation for a Greener Future, the course aims to:

• Encourage adolescents, especially girls, to actively address environmental challenges.
• Promote gender equality in STEM.
• Equip participants with knowledge on climate change, clean energy, and sustainable development.
• Strengthen skills in Design Thinking, creativity, presentation, teamwork, and problem-solving.

The “Green STEM Innovation 2025” course focuses on turning knowledge into action, enabling adolescents to engage with STEM education proactively, accessibly, and in direct connection with local environmental challenges.

Learning Experience: From Design Thinking to a Viable STEM Model

With the participation of 60 adolescents (37 girls, 23 boys), the opening session was vibrant and engaging, featuring a series of hands-on activities on design thinking and team formation:
✨ Ice breaking – Connecting and spreading positive energy.
✨ I Have a Dream – Shaping visions and aspirations for social change.
✨ Identify problem – Recognizing environmental challenges in the community.
✨ Form team – Creating teams based on shared interests and assigning roles.
✨ Mini Design Thinking – Experiencing the five steps: empathy – define – ideate – prototype – test.
✨ Quick pitching – Delivering 60-second pitches to build confidence and communication skills.

Participants who complete all three sessions will receive a Certificate of Completion for the Course & Green STEM Innovation 2025 Competition.

Learners who complete all three sessions will receive a “Green STEM Innovation 2025 Course & Competition” certificate—recognizing their competence and commitment to STEM education. After the foundations, teams will refine ideas, build prototypes, and draft implementation plans including impact goals, KPIs, indicative budgets, and communication roadmaps. Project documentation (project brief, poster/kiosk, pitch deck) will align with core judging criteria of the STEM competition: innovation, feasibility, sustainability impact, level of interdisciplinary collaboration, and scalability strategy. Learners will also be guided to collect evidence, test data and user feedback—before entering evaluation rounds.

Expected Impact: Expanding the STEM Creativity Ecosystem in Da Nang

The program aims to activate a local network of students, educators, experts, and partners to nurture STEM models tackling waste, clean water, energy, and climate adaptation. Standout projects can evolve into demoable products, receive mentorship, apply for micro-grants, or connect with businesses and civil society for community pilots. Increasing girls’ leadership in STEM creativity helps narrow the gender gap while inspiring younger cohorts. In the long run, outputs from projects and the STEM competition will enrich a local knowledge repository, strengthening Da Nang’s innovation ecosystem.

Let’s look forward to groundbreaking ideas from Da Nang’s young innovators — champions of a greener planet in 2025!