What happened
Cezeri Yeşil Teknoloji Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi, established in 2017 as Türkiye's first secondary school specialising in renewable energy, has advanced to the final round of the World's Best School Prizes in the Environmental Action category. Selected from thousands of applications submitted globally, the school is Türkiye's sole representative competing in its category. The award programme, run by T4 Education since 2022, evaluates schools across five categories: Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Living.
Why it matters
The school's selection signals recognition of Türkiye's integration of renewable energy into vocational pedagogy. Advancing to the final amplifies the international visibility of domestic environmental initiatives and validates the school's thematic approach to sustainability education. For the broader education sector, a win would strengthen the profile of renewable energy curricula within Türkiye's vocational training landscape and demonstrate the viability of energy-focused institutional models.
The school's environmental work
The Energy Detective programme deploys trained student energy auditors to neighbouring secondary schools. These detectives deliver environmental awareness training focused on carbon footprint measurement, resource efficiency and waste reduction. Students then monitor energy and water consumption across partner schools, providing data analysis and tracking measurable consumption reductions throughout the academic year. Schools that achieve significant savings receive recognition awards.
Beyond schools, the institution conducts community retrofitting education, teaching residents how to implement energy efficiency upgrades to buildings. The school has also designed and manufactured emergency power systems deployed during disaster response, addressing acute electricity demand in relief camps and temporary shelters.
What's next
Public voting runs through end of October 2026 via applications.worldsbestschool.org/public-vote-26. The final award decision combines jury evaluation with international public votes. School leadership has called for public participation to secure the category victory. According to headmaster İlker Erkmen, the recognition carries strategic importance for raising the international profile of Turkish education initiatives and reinforcing the school's internationalisation culture.