Amman, Jan. 14 (Petra) -- Al Rajaa School for the Deaf in Russeifa District, affiliated with the Jordan Hashemite Fund for Human Development, has won the Zayed Sustainability Prize 2025 in the Global High Schools category for the Middle East.

According to a press statement issued by the Jordan Hashemite Fund for Human Development on Wednesday, the school received the award for its project, The Speaking Eco-School, which aims to empower students with hearing disabilities in environmental sustainability and modern agricultural technologies. The project focuses on rainwater harvesting, reuse of greywater, and electronic marketing of products, while integrating arts and hands-on activities to enhance students’ creativity and environmental awareness.

The Al Rajaa team, comprising school principal Hanan Maghribi and students Khalil Jitawi and Maryam Rashid, won the prize among teams representing 18 shortlisted high schools in the Global High Schools category. The shortlisted schools were selected from 7,761 applications submitted by participants from 173 countries across six main award categories: Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action, and Global High Schools.

Maghribi said the award reflects the school’s sustained efforts and its vision to enable students with hearing disabilities to play an active role in environmental protection. She explained that The Speaking Eco-School addresses water scarcity and limited environmental awareness by combining smart agriculture, water harvesting, and recycling, while offering learning opportunities in sign language. She noted that the approach positions students as effective agents of environmental change within their school and local community.

She added that since its establishment, the school, under the patronage and support of Her Highness Princess Basma bint Talal, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Jordan Hashemite Fund for Human Development, has focused on promoting innovation and environmental creativity to enable future generations to contribute meaningfully to environmental sustainability.

For his part, Qais Tarawneh, Director of Public Relations at the Jordan Hashemite Fund for Human Development, said the award places inclusive education in Jordan at the center of contemporary environmental solutions by equipping students with sustainability knowledge and practical skills. He added that the achievement represents global recognition of students’ ability, regardless of language or communication methods, to lead change and contribute to shaping the future.

Founded in 1977, Al Rajaa School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing provides specialized education using modern teaching methods and is regarded as a leading institution nationally and regionally in applying the Total Communication philosophy, which includes sign language, lip and facial expression reading, speech training, and language development.

The school’s team was honored during the awards ceremony held Tuesday in Abu Dhabi as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates.

//Petra// AJ

14/01/2026 13:26:23