SLEMAN, August 18, 2026 – In an effort to improve numeracy skills and reduce numeracy illiteracy within the school environment, students participating in the 2026 Educational Practice (PK) program at SMP Negeri 4 Sleman organized a Citizenship Journalism competition. Held from August 5 to 18, 2026, the activity involved students from Grades 7 to 9 through representatives from each class, providing an opportunity for active participation in promoting a culture of numeracy throughout the school. This initiative directly supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, Quality Education, particularly by fostering basic numeracy skills as a foundation for lifelong learning.

The Citizenship Journalism competition aimed to develop students’ awareness of numbers and numerical patterns in everyday life, while also strengthening their digital literacy skills through journalistic works. The activity began with an online preliminary round held from August 5 to 16, 2026. Each class representative was required to create and submit a digital poster along with a creative video explaining the poster’s content and promoting the application of numeracy in daily activities. On the final day, Monday, August 18, 2026, the Science Laboratory of SMP Negeri 4 Sleman was filled with enthusiasm as class representatives presented their digital posters and screened their videos directly before the judging panel and fellow students. The activity received full support from the school administration, supervising teachers, and PK students who served as the organizing committee.

A total of 12 classes at SMP Negeri 4 Sleman participated in the competition, with each class sending a representative and producing a total of 12 digital posters and numeracy campaign videos. From the preliminary round to the final event, the participants demonstrated high enthusiasm, as reflected in their active involvement in presenting their works before the judges and fellow students. The process of developing the posters and videos also encouraged students to gain a deeper understanding of data, graphs, and basic calculations in everyday contexts. At the same time, the activity fostered students’ critical awareness and confidence in presenting and explaining numeracy concepts directly before the judging panel. This initiative represents a concrete step by the school to strengthen students’ habits of numerical thinking, in line with SDG 4 indicators concerning the improvement of foundational skills and the provision of inclusive and quality education.

It is hoped that the Citizenship Journalism competition focusing on numeracy will not remain merely a competition, but will continue as a movement to cultivate numeracy skills at SMP Negeri 4 Sleman. The PK students and the school hope that the posters and videos produced by the students can continue to be disseminated as peer-education media, thereby contributing to the development of a strong and sustainable culture of numeracy within the school community.

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Author: Nika Widyaningrum (Mahasiswa S1 Pendidikan Matematika)