Arts-ED Penang

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Arts-ED Penang

Arts-ED (Community-based Arts & Culture Education)

Arts-ED is a non-profit organisation (NPO) based in Penang, Malaysia since 2000, which specialises in innovative community-based arts and culture education for young people and adult communities. The work of Arts-ED is focused on empowering communities to develop awareness of their cultural assets through mapping, documentation, promotion and celebration of culture. Arts-ED provides non-formal art

s and culture education programs for young people, conducts research-type service in cultural mapping and community consultation, produces cultural events and publishes culture-related educational materials (teaching CDs, cultural maps, brochures and newsletters). Arts-ED works in collaboration with institutions, arts educators, artists, and community activists to promote culture education at a local and regional level. The innovative approaches of ARTS-ED have been emulated by other non-profit organisations within Malaysia as well as in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.

01/05/2026

Through our teacher training programs and research, we’ve always found that support from school leaders is key to sustaining effective Global Citizenship Education (GCED) / Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) practices. It was thus very meaningful for us to share with all 398 primary and secondary school principals from around Penang state on the key principles of ESD, various ways of integrating ESD in school, and some case studies from teachers and schools whom we've worked with.

The presentation was part of a workshop for the inaugural Anugerah Lestari Pemimpin Sekolah Pulau Pinang, organised by GREW in collaboration with Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Pulau Pinang and the Malaysian National Commission for UNESCO. The award aims to encourage and recognize school leaders who drive whole-school transformation towards sustainability beyond one-off initiatives. Many thanks to GREW for the invitation and we look forward to more meaningful efforts in ESD and GCED that will bring greater positive impact on our students, communities, and planet.

Photos credit: GREW

28/03/2026

Yesterday morning and all afternoon, Arts-ED hosted the second cohort of Tilting Futures apprentices on an exploratory orientation of George Town. We went on guided walks through the Street of Harmony, a confluence of cultures, where the group conducted field research to study sustainability in Penang with a cultural lens.

They drew insights from the local community of businesses, residents and stewards of places of worship to unpack the intersections of culture, religion, arts, economics, generational continuity and the urban environment.

We wish this cohort a wonderful and fruitful journey in Penang as they embark on their respective apprenticeships with various local organisations and hope today’s session gives them a meaningful headstart. All the best!

Special thanks & shoutout to co-facilitators Sofea Lee Yee Heng Yeh

18/03/2026

Arts-ED was honoured to attend this executive briefing and dialogue yesterday with the Minister and Deputy Minister of Education and other stakeholders as a representative of the National Strategic Committee for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED).

We look forward to the continued partnership with the Ministry and other organizations to ensure meaningful, systemic implementation of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2026-2035, especially through capacity-building and resource development for teachers in GCED.

12/03/2026

🌏 Bagaimana kita membimbing murid menjadi warganegara yang peka terhadap dunia?

Jika anda seorang guru yang ingin membawa isu kelestarian, keadilan sosial dan tanggungjawab global ke dalam PdP secara lebih bermakna, program ini untuk anda.

📣 PERMOHONAN KOHORT-2 KINI DIBUKA!

Sertai Program Pembangunan Kapasiti Guru Peneraju Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan Global (PKG) – Tahap 1: Pembentukan Warganegara Bertanggungjawab melalui PBL (Mei-Sep 2026)

Melalui program ini, peserta akan:

✨ Memahami konsep Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan Global (PKG)

✨ Meneroka cara mengintegrasikan PKG dalam PdP melalui PBL

✨ Merancang dan melaksanakan projek PKG-PBL di sekolah dengan bimbingan fasilitator

•⁠ ⁠Terbuka kepada guru sekolah rendah (Tahun 3–6) dan sekolah menengah (Tingkatan 1–5) Zon Utara
•⁠ ⁠Permohonan secara individu atau berkumpulan (2–3 guru dari sekolah yang sama)

🔗 Maklumat lanjut: https://bit.ly/4b1Y70G
Imbas kod QR

🔗 Mohon di sini: https://forms.gle/NbmHwS7UuTB69Ue3A

📅 Tarikh tutup: 12 April 2026
❓Pertanyaan: 012-4186737 / 016-2633981

Anjuran: Arts-ED

Dengan kerjasama:
Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia
UNESCO APCEIU

28/02/2026

Entering our fourth year of collaboration with the Ministry of Education — through the Educational Planning and Research Division and the Teacher Professionalism Division — together with our long-time partner UNESCO Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) has been both encouraging and grounding.

Over the years, we have dedicated our efforts to developing localized materials and strengthening teachers’ capacity to integrate Global Citizenship Education (GCED) into the school curriculum through creative pedagogy. We believe GCED is not only about frameworks and concepts, but lived classroom practice — how values are embodied, conversations are facilitated, and young people are nurtured to engage meaningfully with the world around them.

This recent meeting affirmed another year of shared commitment among all parties. Beyond theory, our focus remains on implementation: supporting the first batches of GCED pioneer teachers and ensuring that this foundation is strong for thoughtful scaling in the years ahead.

With GCED and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) positioned as a key strategic thrust within the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2026–2035, and action plans already in motion, we look forward to deepening this NGO–government partnership in addressing real needs on the ground — with care, collaboration, and clarity of purpose.

Unesco Apceiu
Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia

30/01/2026

A meaningful day bringing the Luce Scholars into George Town’s development journey — reflecting on how key moments of change have shaped the city over time.

The guided walk was co-led by Sofea, Win Wen and Yoke Pin, moving through early settlements established during the British period, and tracing how cultural legacies continue, adapt and evolve across time and space.

A special highlight was the close exchange with local masters — Mr Lee Chee Cheng, a woodcarver, and Madam Piwan, a joss stick maker. Beyond listening, the scholars got hands-on: carving a piece of wood and kneading joss sticks into their familiar cylindrical form.

Wishing all the best for the coming five months of fellowship across Asia for your immersive professional placements. May this tour spark deeper curiosity, care and connection with the region.

Supported by Henry Luce Foundation & The Asia Foundation The Asia Foundation

09/01/2026

感谢吉隆坡中華獨立中學的信任与邀请，让 Arts-ED 有机会于 2025 年 12 月与校方合作，举办为期三天的社区导向学习（Community-based Learning, CBL）教师工作坊。

在学校既有的项目式学习（PBL）实践基础上，工作坊引导教师探索 CBL 如何作为一种相辅相成的教学框架，把学习与真实情境、社区资源及学生经验紧密连接，进一步深化以学生为中心的学习过程。

在工作坊中，我们深深感受到老师们的投入与反思精神。来自不同学科的教师共同发展了多项贴近校园与社区脉络的 CBL 项目计划，展现了教育实践的多元可能。

衷心感谢隆中華教师团队、行政与领导层的支持与合作。期待未来继续携手同行，让 CBL 的种子在隆中华扎根、成长，共同探索更具连结性与意义的学习方式。

We’re grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Chong Hwa Independent High School Kuala Lumpur (CHKL) on a 3-day Community-based Learning (CBL) workshop for their teachers in December 2025.

Building on CHKL’s ongoing school-wide Project-based Learning (PBL) efforts, the workshop explored how CBL can serve as a complementary framework to deepen student engagement, connect learning to real-world contexts, and support teachers in designing meaningful, student-centred learning experiences.

We were inspired by the openness, thoughtfulness, and commitment shown by the teachers, who worked across subjects to develop diverse CBL project plans based on topics and issues in their school and surrounding communities.

Thank you to CHKL’s teachers, management, and leadership team for the trust and collaboration. We look forward to more learning together and to future opportunities to strengthen school–community connections.

Photos credit: CHKL and Arts-ED

23/12/2025

An immersive adventure in George Town with Tilting Futures!

Connecting our 20 years of experience with multiple-generation residents of George Town, we customised a “connect learning”, where more than 40 youths immerse themselves in an educational on-site study on George Town’s unique cultural heritage through guided walk, interview, research, hands-on interaction with local communities, etc.

Explore and investigate George Town on multiple aspects related to sustainability, talk to long-time residents, try out cultural practices, and so much more with Arts-ED.

22/12/2025

Tersengih dan tersenyum para ‘graduan’ kita! Terima kasih kepada kesemua 27 orang guru peneraju kami dari 16 buah sekolah seluruh negara.

“Bercampur baur rasa bangga dan gembira,” komen peserta-peserta Program Latihan Guru Peneraju Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan Global (PKG), pasti kerana dapat menyelesaikan Projek PKG-PBL masing-masing. Tahniah kami ucapkan cikgu-cikgu. Majlis Penutup dan Graduasi telah kami adakan secara dalam talian pada 14 Oktober 2025. Tahniah juga kepada pemenang anugerah khas.

Tidak lupa juga kepada yang hadir memeriahkan majlis. Jumpa lagi dalam edisi seterusnya!

Terima kasih dan bangga dapat bekerjasama dengan pihak:
🤝 Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia
🤝 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (Unesco - Apceiu)

25/11/2025

“sangat baik kerana dapat merangsang minat murid untuk belajar, memupuk semangat kerjasama dalam kumpulan serta membantu guru melahirkan murid yang seimbang dari JERIS...” komen Cikgu Tan Yi Quan, salah seorang guru peserta Program Latihan Guru Peneraju Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan Global (PKG)

Kemuncak Program Latihan Guru Peneraju Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan Global (PKG) - Pembentukan Kewarganegaraan Bertanggungjawab Melalui Pembelajaran Berasaskan Projek (PBL) dikeliling oleh 2 sesi pembentangan hasil dan proses perancangan dan pengaplikasian penerapan unsur-unsur PKG ke kurikulum.

Sejumlah 16 projek PKG-PBL telah dirancang dan dijalankan oleh 27 orang guru peneraju PKG Cohort 1 yang mengandungi pelbagai tema PKG dan subjek. Para peserta dan tetamu jemputan bukan sahaja membentangkan aktiviti-aktiviti projek bahkan sempat bertukar pendapat tentang strategi-strategi pengintergrasian PKG ke pembelajaran melalui kaedah PBL ke projek PBL masing-masing.

Daripada topik kelestarian alam sekitar, kepelbagaian budaya, konflik dan usaha membina keamanan serta kesihatan dan kesejahteraan, projek-projek PKG-PBL yang dibentangkan terbukti memberi pembelajaran yang impak kepada murid dalam mengaitkan topik kepada dunia sebenar, merangsang pelbagai deria dan domain pembelajaran memperkembangkan kompetensi murid dan guru sebagai ‘global citizen’.

Dari bulan Jun ke September, perjalanan 5 bulan ini daripada bengkel pengenalan kepada PKG-PBL, perancangan projek serta menjalankan projek PKG-PBL di sekolah masing-masing terlihat proses pengintergrasian PKG melalui kaedah PBL adalah satu pendekatan yang membantu kemenjadian murid dan memberi guru pedagogi dan persepktif yang baru.

Sekali lagi, setinggi-tinggi penghargaan kepada:
🤝 Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia
🤝 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding Unesco - Apceiu Unesco Apceiu

18/11/2025

“Arts is not supposed to be a silo; [arts cannot stand alone as] it involves the community around it as well…” one student reflected.

Glad to have the students from School of the Arts, Singapore for this arts immersive study trip.

In this two-batch study trip, while one of the groups designed beca’s and fortune-teller’s stalls, holiday photography exploring vernacular visual system in George Town with Hoo Fan Chon, Matthew Tân and Ooi Win Wen; the other group was contemporary movement with Aida Redza, performing wayang kulit with Wak Long Arts and Music Centre, and the Teochew Opera with 潮藝館（Teochew Puppet & Opera House）

Either way, they sure learned way more than we could ever teach in a classroom and we’re so proud to having spent the 5 days with you all.

🇸🇬

Address

48, Lorong Toh Aka
George Town
10100

Telephone

+60164003471

Website

http://www.arts-ed.my/

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