A 6-member student team from the Environmental Health Department of the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED) has won a US$2,500 grant to support a climate change project in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

Out of 26 selected projects, the team’s proposal of setting up plastic banks in selected schools was adjudged one of the best. The project is funded by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Youth Climate Action Fund, with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies.

At a ceremony to receive the first tranche of the grant on April 4, 2025, the Technical Advisor to the team and Head of the Department of Environmental Health and Sanitation Education, Ing. Prof. Isaac Monney, said the award is a testament to AAMUSTED’s commitment in championing climate actions that reduce the devastating impact of plastics in our communities.

He indicated that one of the motivations for the implementation of the plastic banks is to set up rewarding mechanisms that imbibe in students the habit of collection and recycling of plastics. To him, the system will afford schools the opportunity to raise funds and promote a culture of environmental responsibility.

The team, codenamed “Big Six,” includes Iddrisu Isaac, Emmanuel Armah, and Owusu Forson. The rest are Joana Dede Awaitey, Christiana Agyeiwaah, and Mahama Adams.

The Big Six’s recognition highlights AAMUSTED’s dedication to supporting young people to lead meaningful change and address critical environmental challenges, which aligns with the Kumasi Climate Action Plan 2025.