Young Geographer of the Year 2009


Get your students in on this year's competition.
More details at the GEOGRAPHICAL MAGAZINE website.

The theme this year is ARCTIC JOURNEYS.

Sponsored by Explore – the
 leading adventure holiday company, this year's winners win a place on an Arctic expedition, prizes for your
 school and more. The competition is open to young geographers throughout the
 country under the age of 18 years

We want you to carry out a project that involves a journey
 to the Arctic. What would you take with you and why? What
 would ensure your journey’s
 success? Your project should reflect a thorough investigation into the geography of the Arctic

 and a realistic portrayal of a journey to the North Pole. We would also like you to include one luxury item for your journey and an explanation of your item of choice and your reasons for choosing it.

Your entry can take whatever form you think is most appropriate – be it a written report, a short video film, a photographic essay, an audio file or a mix of all of these. The most important thing is that you plan and research accordingly for your Arctic journey and most of all – make sure to be creative and have fun!

Prize: 16–18 years

 
WIN! A place on the month-long expedition Arctic Adventure to East Greenland in July 2009, courtesy of BSES Expeditions.

The winner will depart in mid-July and will begin with a complicated journey via Iceland and southern Greenland. The expedition will involve three phases in the field – the science phase will build on long-term work in the area, including geology, survey work, fluvial and glacial studies, ornithology and invertebrates; in the trekking phase, groups will explore the mountains and undertake challenging journeys along ridges and through valleys to explore rarely visited areas; and in the mountaineering phase, groups will be trained in snow and ice techniques such as crevasse rescue, in order to undertake multi-day journeys on the glaciers and explore these untouched glaciers and mountains. 

This is a chance of a lifetime to go on one of BSES’s extraordinary expeditions and to visit an amazing place that most people just dream about! To find out more about this expedition, visit www.bses.org.uk 

Terms and conditions of expedition

•    You must be aged 16–18
•    Must be available between mid-July and mid-August 2009
•    Winner will be thoroughly interviewed by the expedition chief leader, and participation is strictly subject to his approval
•    All participation is subject to a satisfactory medical check by the expedition chief medic
•    The winner is responsible for their own travel and other associated costs to and from the UK point of departure/return for the expedition
•    The prize does not include any personal kit, such as rucksack, sleeping bag, clothing and the like
•    The winner must have a good understanding of the English language


Prize: 13–15 years and 12 years and under

WIN! A five-day Arctic Ice Adventure to Sweden, courtesy of Explore – the leading adventure holiday company

Based in the northern outpost of Kiruna, your adventure starts with a dogsled safari. With teams of huskies attached to each sled (along with a skilled local doing the driving!), we ‘mush off’ into the wilderness. There’s also the option of snowmobiling cross-country and over frozen lakes towards Kebnekaise, Sweden’s highest peak. And every night, there’s the chance to enjoy that most traditional of Swedish activities: a sauna.

On a visit to Jukkasjarvi, we overnight at the world-famous Icehotel, where everything from the chandeliers to the glasses for your drinks is made of ice. We can also play Father Christmas and ride our own reindeer sled, and enjoy a range of optional activities – from snowshoeing and ice-fishing to cross-country skiing. 
You’ll love: • Trying a Swedish sauna • The thrill of dog-sledding • Meeting Sami reindeer herdsmen

PRIZES FOR SCHOOLS


All winning schools will receive a library of books worth £100 each, courtesy of Dorling Kindersley.

The Advisory Unit: Computers in Education will provide the schools of the winners of the 13–15 year and 16–18 year categories with a full site licence of AEGIS 3 – 
their award-winning education geographic information system. There will also be further prizes from Ordnance Survey. 

All finalists and their teachers will be invited to an awards ceremony at the RGS-IBG on Tuesday, 26 May 2009.

For more information and to download an entry form, you must be registered on www.geographical.co.uk. Click here to do so. If you are already signed up to the site, simply log in and click on the tab 'Members area'. 

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