Climate change colouring competition launches

Eco-Schools, an international environmental education programme has announced the launch of a colouring competition open to all Greater Auckland primary and intermediate school children. 

The HSBC Eco-Code Climate Competition aims to raise environmental awareness in schools, with all participants asked to create a poster under one of the outlined Climate Change topics: Litter, Water, Energy, Transport, Food or Biodiversity. 

The hand-drawn A4 posters will be assessed on imagination, uniqueness and expression of the theme and children who enter will be in with the chance to win the first prize of $300, second prize of $200 or third prize of $100. Schools need to confirm participation by Thursday 18 August, 2011.

Rob Acton from Eco-Schools comments: “Environmental Education in New Zealand is nowhere near what it should be. Unlike many OECD countries where formal environmental education reaches more than 90 per cent of school children, locally less than 40 per cent of schools are involved in one of these programmes.”

“Traditionally conservation has relied on children to make a connection to the natural world during time spent playing outdoors, but as kids spend more time indoors glued to televisions, computers and video games, that connection has been lost,” continues Rob.

The initiative is based on the international Eco-Code competition which has been running for two years, with tens of thousands of children involved across countries in Europe, America, Asia and South America. To learn more, visit the international website: www.eco-schools-hsbc.org.

Any schools looking to get involved or find out more can contact Rob Acton from Eco-Schools, on rob.acton@blueflag.org.nz