The final 68 winners of the inaugural 2021-2022 Macau-wide English Essay Competition were awarded during a prize-giving ceremony held on Saturday at the Macau Science Centre in Nape.

The competition was themed “The Change I want to Make” and focused on the United Nations’ (UN) 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and had over 1,600 students from 53 local schools registered for the competition.

The competition consisted of four categories, namely college, high school, middle school and upper primary. The winning essays were compiled into an essay collection.

Speaking with reporters after the ceremony, MEEC Chair Sandy Leong (梁嘉怡) remarked that the competition was a way for the association to “engage with the students of Macau” as well as to ask them what change they would want to make in society.

Moreover, Leong also said that for students joining the competition was a way for them to learn about the SDGs and think about the ways they can contribute back into society. Leong added that she believes that “we ourselves can be the instigator of positive changes”, which will “trickle down into bigger positive changes, and that’s how as a community, we can build a better future together”, she said.

Leong also remarked that the association was happy for the support that they received, adding that the number of students who took part is “a testament that people find this topic really important”

The competition was organised by the Macau Speech Professionals Association (MSPA), supervised by SDSN Youth Hong Kong and with the United Nations University Institute in Macau as its advisory body. It was also co-organised by various entities such as the Society of Food & Environmental Health, and Sustainable Development Association.

The ceremony was attended by various guests such as Assistant Director of the Department of Education and Youth Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macau Zhou Quan and Acting Chief of  theYouth Development Division of the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) Tam Sio Wa. 

Sandy Leong (梁嘉怡) speaks with reporters after the prize-giving ceremony at the Macau Science Centre in Nape.