Would your children like to have their voices heard at COP26 (and win £5,000 for their school)?
I am delighted to announce the launch of National Grid's new competition, 'Voices for a Green Future'.
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing our planet and COP26 will be one of the largest and most significant gathering of world leaders on this issue. In fact, over 30,000 delegates, including politicians, diplomats, campaigners and experts, will debate how to make global progress on climate change in Glasgow later this year. As a Principal Partner of COP26, National Grid is at the heart of efforts to get Great Britain to net zero. However, every voice matters in the battle against climate change and this competition forms a part of their efforts to inspire the young people of today to become the energy problem-solvers of tomorrow.
This competition invites pupils in primary and secondary schools across the UK to write up to 200 words in response to the following question:
'If you were in charge of the country, what would you do to help look after the planet?'
If successful, four pupils will be offered the opportunity to create a film and speech based on their entry, which will be broadcast at COP26! They will also win £150 worth of National Book Tokens and STEM-related science toys, as well as a £5,000 grant for their school to put towards STEM or climate change related educational resources, equipment or experiences. The six runners-up will also receive a £50 National Book Token for taking part.
The deadline to submit your entries is Tuesday 17th August, and ten entrants will be shortlisted from 1st September.
These ten entrants will then be filmed presenting their 200-word submission and the videos will be shared with an esteemed judging panel, including TV presenter Helen Skelton, who will then decide the final four winners. The finalists will be scored against criteria including originality of ideas, creativity and passion, and inspirational power. The four winning pupils will be announced to the public on 20th October, with the opportunity to have their winning speech broadcast digitally at COP26.
Pupils aged 7-15 in school years 3-10 can enter the competition. The National Grid website provides further details about the entry requirements as well as tips, inspiration and resources to help encourage entries as well as educational assets as a source of inspiration.
This is a fantastic opportunity for your children to think about the environment and their future in a fun and accessible way, not to mention raising the profile of their school.
To find out more about the competition, go to https://www.nationalgrid.com/cop26/voices-for-a-green-future
Good luck!