Volkswagen Middle East announces semi-finalists of “Think Blue. at School” student competition

• New sustainability competition “Think Blue. at School” launched by Volkswagen Middle East in partnership with youthinkgreen
• Students challenged to present environmentally-friendly ideas in segments including housing, health and education
• Six semi-finalists to present to judges including Head of School, Volkswagen Middle East Marketing Director and Georgina Guillen-Hanson, Senior Strategy Advisor from youthinkgreen

Dubai, 26 February 2015: Volkswagen Middle East has announced six student semi-finalists from the first round of its sustainability competition “Think Blue.at School”.

“Think Blue. at School” is an initiative implemented by Volkswagen Middle East as part of its ‘Think Blue.’ Campaign. The initiative embodies the goals of Volkswagen to create environmentally friendly products and solutions, encouraging the public to be more eco-conscious and contribute to a sustainable future.

In partnership with the German International School Dubai and youthinkgreen - a non-profit organization educating young people globally on the environment – Volkswagen Middle East challenged students aged 14-16 years to create a legacy by brainstorming and presenting environmental-friendly and responsible project ideas covering topics such as mobility, housing, urban development, use of natural resources, agriculture, health and education.

The first part of the competition took place this week, during which 14 teams of students presented their ideas and project plans to a jury including the German International School Dubai’s Math and Chemistry teacher Andrea Schöne, Georgina Guillen-Hanson, Senior Strategy Advisor from youthinkgreen and Michael Koehler, Marketing Director, Volkswagen Middle East

Six semi-finalists have been shortlisted to go through to phase two, which will run from March to May 2015. During the three-month period, the semi-finalists are required to implement their project and provide video documentation illustrating how the project was brought to life. Their videos will then be uploaded on to the Volkswagen Middle East Facebook page and, through an online voting process, the winners will be decided and announced in June.

Commenting on the initiative, Thomas Milz, Managing Director, Volkswagen Middle East said, “Our “Think Blue. at School” competition allows us to engage directly with local students – the future of tomorrow - and educate them about the positive impacts their ideas and actions can have on the environment and encourage eco-conscious behavior.”

“I extend my warmest congratulations to the students who have impressed the judges enough to be invited through to the semi-finals and I look forward to seeing their projects come to life.”