Samut Prakan, Thailand, 17 December 2021 – UN-Habitat Bangkok Liaison and Branch Office team organised a session for 20 6th-grade students at Pom Phlaeng Fai Fa Municipal School, Samut Prakan. This session explored topics relating to the Sustainable Development Goals and public spaces in urban areas. With social distancing norms followed, the event started with a mini ice-breaking event, and was followed by a brief presentation on the mandates and objectives of the United Nations and UN-Habitat, the 17 goals of sustainable development, and a discussion on how to recognize public spaces and their crucial role in socially and environmentally sustainable urban development.
The activities offered a practical way for students to learn and build upon discussions about public spaces in their school and communities, and how they could preserve and enhance these spaces for better community uses. The peer discussions were based on critical thinking methods and team collaboration, which are useful skills for the students
At the closing remarks and awards ceremony, two students won the prizes from the 20th World Habitat Day Children’s Drawing Contest on “Healthy People, Healthy Environment and Healthy Communities”. Rinrada Umpaijit, the winner of the UN-Habitat Award Gold Prize, and Rungarun Srikaew, the winner of Children’s Future Award were awarded the prizes, and the mayor of Phra Pradaeng municipality, Ms. Jiraporn Vachira-Koenkhan, congratulated and encouraged the students to follow their passion in creating a better urban future for all.
UN-Habitat Award Gold Prize: Rinrada Umpaijit 
Children’s Future Award: Rungarun Srikaew
