A Cambridge High School educator and student team from GEMS Our Own English High School are among the top finalists in the global competition ahead of COP28 

Abu Dhabi, Nov 24, 2023: In a global competition for educators and students that saw hundreds of entries from 43 countries, Frithi Francis, an educator from Cambridge High School, Abu Dhabi, is a top contender in the teacher category. Teacher entries to the Climate Change Challenge were received from locations around the world.  

Additionally, a five-member student team from GEMS Our Own English High School, Dubai, is among the finalists in the student category. 

The young people and teachers whose ideas have been shortlisted as part of The Burjeel Holdings-Oxford Saïd Climate Change Challenge have now been invited to present their solutions to judges in Abu Dhabi. The winner will be declared at a ceremony at COP28 on December 2, 2023, in Dubai. The winners will win a place to study climate change at the University of Oxford. 

Professor Soumitra Dutta, Dean of Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford says, “The diverse range of applications from more than 40 countries, including entries from refugee camps, highlights the intense interest among school students and educators in tackling climate change. We should all be inspired by the finalists’ entries, and I look forward to the culmination of this challenge on stage at COP28.” 

The finalists distinguished themselves among submissions, demonstrating the passion felt by students and teachers globally, determined to tackle the world’s most pressing issue. This makes it one of the biggest global competitions to help tackle the climate crisis, specifically targeting a 500-million high school student and teacher community. The entries were reviewed by a judging panel made up of influential thought leaders, founders, CEOs and global entrepreneurs. 

The other teacher finalists include Lucas Olscamp from Pearson College UWC (United World College), Metchosin, Canada; Michael Jones from Northfleet Technology College, Northfleet, UK; Roudaina Kassam from Rashaya Public High School, Rashaya, Lebanon; and Laxmidevi Upadhyay from Udayachal High School, Mumbai, India. 

The other student teams in the finals include Lightning McQueens – Zosia, Hania, Maja and Matylda from American School of Warsaw, Poland; Ecotelligent – Ammar, Grace, Ninar, Rina and Zainab from Latakia, Syria (the team attends Teens In AI); Acquifier Guardians – Aniba, Anika, Jasreen, Naina and Sonali from Ryan International School; New Delhi, India; and Entofarm – Junhyeok, Gregory, Aiden, Dowon and Jihan, students of Phillips Exeter Academy; who are variously based in the USA, South Korea and Indonesia. 

The challenge will culminate in a Climate Change Symposium: Champions of Change Panel at COP28.