It's Our Planet Awards

YOUNG, GIFTED AND GREEN

9 December 2010, Lancashire

The It’s Our Planet Awards 2010 were held at Ewood Park, Blackburn on Thursday 21st October and were attended by primary and secondary schools throughout Lancashire. Entertainment and a two course gala meal were followed by a glittering Awards Ceremony, which was topped off with a guest appearance by scientists from the FlashBangScience mobile laboratory.

The Awards, which were introduced for the first time this year, highlight the growing importance of green issues in schools and demonstrates the commitment of children and young people to environmental improvements in their schools.

The annual event is run by environmental charity Groundwork Pennine Lancashire and provides schools in Lancashire with recognition of their achievements in categories ranging from sustainable travel and school ground improvements to carbon footprint reduction and global awareness.

“This was a really rewarding event for everyone”, said Suzi McPherson, Education and Training Manager at Groundwork Pennine Lancashire. “The applications we received prove that our youngest generations are taking environmental issues such as climate change very seriously. Everyone who was shortlisted deserved to be recognised for what the work they have done and I was proud to be part of such an important event”.

The winners were:

Global Citizenship Award - St. Leonard’s C of E Primary School
Sustainable Travel Award - Nelson Whitefield Infant School and Nursery Unit
Waste Savers Award - Pilling St. John’s Primary School
Green Fingers for Schools Award - Carlton St. Hilda’s CEP School
Bright Sparks Award - Brabins Endowed School
Eco Supporter Award - Mrs Litherland, St. Christopher’s C of E High School

“Listening to the achievements of other schools has given us lots more ideas and the impetus to move forward and make further improvements,” said Mrs. Litherland, winner of the Eco Supporter Award. “The hard work these children put into environmental projects in schools is not normally recognised so this is a fantastic reward for them. I was touched by the whole thing.”

On Wednesday 31st March, teams of pupils representing three Blackpool Primary Schools (Devonshire Primary School, Norbreck Primary School and St. John Vianney’s Catholic Primary School) and three Blackpool High Schools (Collegiate High School, Montgomery High School and Palatine Community Sports College) attended the final of the Egg Descent Challenge to take part in activities involving eggs, spaghetti and marshmallows!! 

The teams competed against each other in a challenge to protect an egg dropped from a certain height. The teams had been working on the challenge for several weeks supported by STEM Ambassadors from business and industry.

Congratulations to the team from Montgomery High School for becoming overall winners of the Egg Descent Challenge after impressing the judges with their ingenious solution which involved allowing the egg to roll, under gravity, down a runway into a pot of flour to cushion the impact, and their justification for using the design.