VOTUALEVU College has secured its place as the only Pacific school to qualify as a finalist in the East Asia Pacific category of the prestigious 2027 Zayed Sustainability Prize.
The achievement puts the Nadi school on the international stage among finalists selected from a record 10,233 submissions across 177 countries.
Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi on January 12, 2027.
Year 13 student and student team leader Risha Raj said the qualification was a proud moment for the entire school community, following an earlier qualification in 2024.
“I am extremely overwhelmed with joy to share the great news that Votualevu College has qualified as a finalist,” she said.
“We stand proud to say that we have once again made our way to the global stage and we are indeed privileged to represent our nation.”
Working alongside Year 11 Assistant Head Girl Maanvi Chandra and Year 12 Deputy Head Girl Ishita Lal, the team dedicated about 390 hours to developing their project, titled the “Breathing Ecosystem”.
The comprehensive design uses a recycled water system, physics-based thermal regulation, and vertical farming to tackle water waste, high electricity consumption, and food security simultaneously.
“What this project mainly encompasses is that we use our pond as a water source where grey water is collected first.
“The returning water is then used in our vertical gardens to nurture our crops.”
Every finalist in the competition is guaranteed financial support, with Global High Schools finalists set to receive $US25,000 ($F56,000) each, while category winners will receive $US150,000 ($F336,000).
Ms Raj extended appreciation to the Ministry of Education, school principal Rajesh Chand, project coordinator Mr Nand, lead teacher Shabraz Khan, and the wider school management, teachers, and parents for their continuous support throughout the project.
