What is your plan for our planet?
Our World is changing. The big geographical issues of today need to be addressed now to protect the future of our planet and the people who live on it.
For this year’s Rex Walford Award, we are asking trainee or early career geography teachers to create a short scheme of work which encourages their students to create their own blueprint for the future and enter it into our Young Geographer of the Year competition 2023.
We are interested to see lesson plans and accompanying resources which encourage students to think about:
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Innovative ideas to address problems in areas such as food production and supply, energy and sustainability, water security, resources, population growth, economic crisis, transport, travel, urbanisation, risk management, trade, environmental management, biodiversity and more.
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Recommendations that are forward-thinking, taking into consideration the depth of the problems and the reasons behind them, as well as what can be done to mitigate them. Their blueprint for the future could be a design for an eco-city, or a plan to produce and distribute enough food to feed the world. It could be a look at the future of energy and how we can produce enough energy sustainably without harming the environment, or a plan to revolutionise travel and transport in your country or beyond. Student’s plans must be realistic, but we welcome ideas for futuristic strategies and new technologies.
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The ways in which geography connects across themes and processes, to provide a ‘bigger picture’ solution to the world’s contemporary issues.
Using a blueprint for the future, we want to see the problems of today solved by the geographers of tomorrow.
Entering the competition
The Rex Walford Award is for trainees or teachers who are in an early career stage (first five years), including students enrolled on a PGCE, SCITT or School Direct programme, alongside Teach First geographers, NQTs and colleagues at an early career stage.
Entrants are asked to produce a scheme of work, including at least three lessons, that explores the theme of ‘A blueprint for the future’. We would also be interested to see (where possible) examples of pupils’ work that has resulted from the lessons, and hope that entrants encourage their students to create and submit entries for our Young Geographer of the Year competition 2023 which focusses on the same theme.
The scheme of work created can be aimed at any Key Stage eligible to enter the Young Geographer of the Year competition, and must include:
The competition asks students to:
Key Stage 2 criteria: Provide your plan for at least one geographical issue, using annotated images, maps or diagrams.
Key Stage 3 criteria: Provide your plan for at least two or more geographical issues, using annotated images, maps or diagrams.
Key Stage 4 criteria: Provide your plan for at least three or more geographical issues, using annotated images, maps, diagrams and data.
Key Stage 5 criteria: Provide your plan for multiple geographical issues, using annotated images, maps, diagrams and data.
We do not have a preferred style for competition submissions from students. We are looking for eye-catching, innovative, informative and accurate submissions which provide a blueprint (plan) for the future which focusses on a number of geographical and contemporary problems and how we might solve them.
The deadline for receipt of all Rex Walford Award entries is Monday 2 October 2023 at 5.00pm. Entries received after this time will not be accepted.
All entries must be emailed to competitions@rgs.org with ‘Rex Walford Award’ as the email title. Please provide all documents, plus details of your name, address, contact details and where you are teaching or training.
We cannot accept or judge any entries submitted by post.
Due to the high volume of entries we regret that we are unable to contact unsuccessful entrants or provide individual feedback.
Rex Walford Award and the Young Geographer of the Year competition are kindly supported by: