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Young Geographer of the Year 2020 - and Rex Walford Award

This year’s RGS-IBG Young Geographer of the Year competition gives young people the chance to explore the potential that geography holds.

The title this year is particularly apt.

Although we might all be confined to our homes, and doing #geographyathome, the RGS-IBG are asking young people to explore their wider geographical horizons by providing entries to the Young Geographer of the Year competition and explore the geography of:
'The world beyond my window'

They are interested in entries that explore the human and physical geography of places that exist beyond a young person's window, be it locally or further afield. They want to know how young people’s lives are connected to and influenced by these places - be the connections physical, digital or emotional. They also want students to demonstrate that they understand how geographical processes in the physical and human worlds have created these places and might be changing them.

The competition has four categories as usual.
  • Key Stage 2 (pupils aged 7-11)
  • Key Stage 3 (pupils aged 11-14)
  • Key Stage 4 or GCSE (pupils aged 14-16)
  • Key Stage 5 or A Level (pupils aged 16-18)
Students should enter the Key Stage category which they will be in as of 30 June 2020.

The deadline for receipt of all entries is Tuesday 30 June 2020 at 5.00pm.

All entries must include an Entry Form. Submissions can be made by individual students or teachers. Teacher and school contact details must be provided. If you are a teacher sending in entries, please note how many students took part in the competition.

Given the COVID outbreak, entries can only be submitted as an electronic copy, scan or photo and must be accompanied with an entry form.

General entry criteria
KS2, KS3 and KS4 students will produce an A3 size entry. This can be hand-made (then sent in electronically via a scanned copy or photograph) or using PowerPoint, word, publisher or PDF, etc.
KS5 students will produce an Esri Story Map containing no more than 1500 words.

Our students will be taking part in this during the 2nd half of the summer term to put together an entry in time for the deadline date.

Full details on the application form here.

Don't forget there is also a competition for teachers on the same theme.
This is named after the late great Rex Walford.

The Rex Walford Award is for trainees or teachers who have just started their careers, including students enrolled on a PGCE, SCITT, Teach First and School Direct, alongside NQTs and colleagues at a similar stage in their careers.

Entrants are asked to produce a scheme of work, covering at least three lessons, that focuses on the theme ‘ The world beyond my window ’

Reflecting the late Rex Walford’s passion for training new geography teachers who can inspire their students in their subject, it is awarded for the best scheme of work, set of teaching resources and/or lesson plans developed on the same theme as the Young Geographer of the Year competition.

The deadline for all entries is 5.00pm Tuesday 30 June 2020.

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