By: Andhiani M. Kumalasari

"What is energy for the future?" That sentence became the key question of the "Education for Sustainable Development" program run by WWF-Indonesia Papua Program at the end of last year. One of the activities of the campaign was a Quiz Competition for elementary school level in Jayapura City and Regency which took place from November 25 to December 9, 2014. In collaboration with the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources of Papua Province, Department of Education and Culture of Papua Province, Jayapura City Government, and Jayapura Regency Government, WWF-Indonesia invited a number of schools to become participants. 30 elementary schools qualified as participants after going through the registration and selection process.

With the theme "Renewable Energy, Future Energy", the activity became a medium for disseminating information about renewable energy for the future as well as environmental management issues in the Land of Papua and globally. The questions given to the competition participants were closely related to the theme of renewable energy and environmental management and conservation. Representatives from the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources, Papua Province, the Department of Education and Culture of Papua Province, and WWF Indonesia Papua Program served as panelists to judge the competition.

Director of WWF-Indonesia Papua Program, Benja V. Mambai, expressed his high hopes for the implementation of the competition. "This activity is a collaboration of renewable energy and education programs for sustainable development where WWF-Indonesia has been conducting a series of educational activities. This year we try to collaborate the two programs in various activities, one of which is this competition."

The Energy and Mineral Resources Office of Papua Province positively appreciates the campaign to disseminate information about renewable energy to the younger generation, especially elementary school students. They are deemed necessary to get an understanding of renewable energy for the future.

While the representative of the Jayapura Provincial Education and Culture Office, Albert Lantang, provided support for the activity. "During the implementation of the competition, I observed that the students became closer to their teachers in order to learn knowledge about renewable energy and environmental management. Likewise, the teachers have become more active in finding various learning materials related to renewable energy and environmental management."

A total of 13 episodes of the competition were aired live by Papua TV from November 25 to December 9, 2014, every Monday to Saturday at 18.30 WIT. After 12 episodes of the preliminary round, round of 12 and round of 9, on December 9, 2014 the final round was aired. SDN Inpres APO I, Kota Jayapura (Team 1) won the first place in the competition, followed by SDN Inpres APO I, Kota Jayapura (Team 2) as the second place, and SDN Inpres 5.81 Perumnas 1, Waena took the third place. The winners received trophies, gifts, and certificates from WWF-Indonesia, as well as various prizes from sponsors, including savings from Bank Papua, gifts from Nestle Koko Krunch, and vouchers from KFC Abepura.

In addition to the quiz show, an art creation competition and Science Film Festival with the same theme, namely "Renewable Energy, Future Energy." The dissemination of information and awareness on renewable energy issues is an important agenda for WWF-Indonesia Papua Program considering that the region has many potential sources of renewable energy in the form of solar panels, water, and bio mass.