The UAE’s Digital School has earned international recognition after its “Donate Your Own Device” initiative won the 2026 IPMA Global Award for Sustainable Project Management at the International Project Management Association’s awards ceremony in Hiroshima, Japan.
The award recognises the initiative’s approach to combining digital education, environmental sustainability and community participation through the responsible reuse of technology. The programme collects used electronic devices, refurbishes suitable equipment and redirects it toward digital learning opportunities for students and communities with limited access to technology. Devices that cannot be reused are responsibly recycled.
Since its launch, the initiative has collected more than 145,000 electronic devices, with a combined weight exceeding 370 tonnes. According to the Digital School, its environmental impact includes saving more than one million kilowatt-hours of electricity, over 550,000 litres of fuel, and avoiding more than 369,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions.
The programme also demonstrates how technology can be connected with wider educational and humanitarian goals. By extending the life of electronic devices, the initiative creates additional opportunities for digital learning while reducing electronic waste.
The Digital School was launched in 2020 as part of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives. Its programmes have reached more than 850,000 beneficiaries across over 40 countries, with educational programmes delivered in seven languages through partnerships with governments, international organisations and universities.
The IPMA recognition adds to the Digital School’s international profile and highlights a UAE-developed model that connects education, sustainability and responsible technology use on a global scale.
