FWD Group Holdings Limited (FWD Group) and JA Asia Pacific have named The UK Academy in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, as the winner of the JA SparktheDream Social Challenge 2025 for Asia Pacific.
The JA SparktheDream programme, now in its fourth year, operates in eight markets across Asia and aims to equip students with financial literacy, life and social skills through experiential and gamified learning.
Team EcoBank from UK Academy in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, won first place for their idea to reduce waste with an “EcoBank”, where students can deposit recyclable products and receive ecocoins.
BanaNation from Bacacay East Central School in Albay, the Philippines, took second place with Project Saging Nga Pamilya, a community banana plantation, while Delulu Maxxing from SMJK Chung Hwa in Klang, Malaysia, came third for their mobile application “PLEARN” which encourages planting through the motto “Plant, Learn, Earn, Repeat”.
Commenting on this year’s competition, Cathy Knezevic, Group Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, FWD Group, said that the winners “demonstrated the enormous potential of young people to turn ideas into impact within their communities – meeting real-world challenges with inspiring solutions.”
Earlier this year, FWD announced an extension of its partnership with JA Worldwide for another three years. The next phase aims to reach 40,000 more students by the end of 2027, increase engagement with parents and teachers, and develop new mental well-being initiatives.
During the first phase of the FWD-JA partnership from 2022 to 2024, the programme reached more than 37,000 students. Among participants, 88% gained an understanding of money’s role in daily life, and 80% developed greater awareness of community needs, FWD said.
