Kenan Foundation Asia has been working alongside Schneider Electric Vietnam and the Schneider Electric Foundation to bring crucial sustainability training to youth in Vietnam, through the “Schneider Project-Based-Learning Conserve My Planet” project.
This forward-thinking project was designed to cultivate knowledge, skills, and awareness in energy conservation and sustainable practices, while also preparing young people with essential 21st-century skills. Unlike traditional lectures, the course emphasized hands-on, project-based learning to encourage students to learn through doing – shown to promote a higher rate of engagement, improving knowledge retention and understanding.
The project is being implemented in vocational colleges in Vietnam, where many students expressed their anxiety around entering the workforce.
One such student was Duong Thi Thanh Hien, a final-year Business Accounting student at Bac Ninh College of Industry. The fiercely competitive job market made her question whether her technical knowledge would be enough to stand out among hundreds of applicants.
Her perspective shifted when she participated in the student training course under the “Schneider PBL Conserve My Planet” project. Hien and her classmates were tasked with analyzing utility costs, proposing energy-saving solutions, and joining group activities ranging from case discussions to experiential exercises.
Through these activities, Hien experienced a turning point. She gained confidence not only in her professional capacity but also in her ability to connect her field of accounting to pressing global challenges. For the first time, she saw that financial reports could tell a story beyond balance sheets, reflecting how businesses save energy, reduce waste, and commit to sustainability. “What impressed me most was realizing that even accounting can contribute to protecting the environment,” she shared.
The transformation went beyond her career perspective. The training instilled in Hien a green mindset that she began to integrate into her daily life. She started conserving electricity, making better use of natural light, sorting waste, and encouraging her friends and family to adopt similar habits. What began as small actions soon created a ripple effect, spreading environmental awareness within her classroom, her household, and her community.
Hien’s journey illustrates the profound impact of experiential learning. By linking technical knowledge with sustainability and providing practical skills, initiatives like “Schneider PBL Conserve My Planet” help young people move past career anxieties and step into their roles as active agents of change. For Hien, the program strengthened her professional skills and employability, giving her a sense of purpose: to pursue a career that contributes to both business success and environmental sustainability.
Hien wasn’t the only one inspired by the experience. Below, two students, Nguyen Thanh Bao and Nguyen Thi An, share their key takeaways from the project.
“What impressed me most was learning about green buildings, and how an entire building can operate on solar energy. Through this training course, I discovered more about environmentally friendly practices and how recycled materials can be applied in my future career in construction. After the course, I commit to using electricity and water efficiently while making better use of natural light to save energy for our planet.”
Nguyen Thanh Bao, Construction student,
Bac Ha College of Technology
“I found the training course practical, interesting, and aligned with modern trends. Commercial marketing is the subject I enjoy most, as it allows me to convey messages about environmental protection to customers. The course expanded my knowledge of environmental conservation, enabling me to apply energy-saving and renewable energy practices in my work and daily life.”
Nguyen Thi An, Business Accounting student,
Bac Ninh College of Industry
The program’s commitment to teaching energy conservation and sustainability has been transformative. By helping students understand the real-world impact of their actions, the program is successfully shaping individual behaviors while driving greater social awareness and inspiring the broader community to adopt a similar green mindset. Together with Schneider Electric and their Foundation, Kenan Foundation Asia will continue championing environmental protection through vital education initiatives, ensuring future generations are prepared to lead with sustainability at the heart of their actions, rather than as an afterthought.
