UMW Toyota Motor has officially launched the 25th edition of Toyota Eco Youth (TEY), with 30 secondary schools from across Malaysia now moving into the project implementation stage after being shortlisted from 327 entries nationwide.
Held from 30 March to 1 April in Klang, the TEY 2026 workshop and official opening marked the start of what is essentially a nationwide “green startup” challenge for students — one that pushes teenagers to solve real environmental problems in their own communities instead of just talking about them.
Organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, TEY remains one of the longest-running school sustainability programmes in the country, having first started in 2001.
This year’s edition continues to focus on students aged 13 to 16, who are tasked with identifying local environmental issues and developing practical solutions using Toyota’s structured problem-solving method.
The bigger story here is scale. More than 300 submissions came in this year, showing that sustainability projects in schools are no longer just side activities for eco clubs. They are becoming serious platforms for innovation, teamwork, and community impact.
Each of the 30 shortlisted schools will receive RM3,000 to fund their projects, bringing the total implementation grant pool to RM90,000. On top of that, another RM80,000 has been set aside for prizes, taking the total programme value to RM170,000.
The top three prizes are:
- Champion – RM30,000
- Second Place – RM20,000
- Third Place – RM10,000
That means TEY 2026 is not just a school competition, but a properly funded platform that gives students the chance to test ideas in the real world. Whether the focus is waste reduction, urban farming, recycling systems, water conservation or cleaner school environments, the emphasis is clearly on execution rather than theory.
According to UMW Toyota Motor President Datuk Ravindran K., the programme is designed to go beyond awareness and help students build the skills and confidence to become active changemakers in their communities.
That practical approach is what keeps TEY relevant even after 25 editions. While many student programmes stop at presentations and posters, this one pushes participants to build, measure, improve, and present results over several months.
During the workshop phase, students and teacher advisors receive guidance to sharpen their ideas, map out implementation plans, and track progress. From there, the projects will be evaluated on-site before the top 15 schools advance to the Toyota Eco Youth 2026 Convention and Exhibition, which is scheduled to take place from 2 to 4 November 2026.
