This year’s Young Geographer of the Year competition is now open for entries
The national competition encourages pupils to engage with geographical issues and recognises the outstanding work of the next generation of geographers. This year’s theme, A blueprint for the future, gives students the opportunity to explore their ideas for how a sustainable future could be achieved.
We’re looking for innovative ideas to address problems in areas such as food production and supply, energy and sustainability, water security, resources, population growth, economic stability, transport, travel, urbanisation, risk management, trade and environmental and biodiversity management.
There are four categories for entrants:
KS2 (pupils aged 7–11)
KS3 (pupils aged 11–14)
KS4 or GCSE or equivalent (pupils aged 14–16)
KS5 or A Level or equivalent (pupils aged 16–18)
The first three categories require pupils to submit an A3-size poster, which can be hand drawn or produced digitally, while A Level students should submit an Esri StoryMap or write an essay – both of which should contain no more than 1,500 words. All entries must adhere to the entry criteria for the relevant age category.
In students’ blueprints for the future, we want to see the problems of today solved by the geographers of tomorrow.
Last year’s competition asked students to discuss a place they’d like to visit, how they’d get there and why they want to go for the theme Where, how and why? – which encouraged pupils to widen their geographical horizons. The category winners were Aryan Shekar (7–11 years), Tomohiro Oxborrow (11–14 years), Esther Morris (14–16 years) and Boe Kilshaw (16–18 years). The winning and highly commended entries all explored the key physical and human features of the selected location, the reasons for the chosen mode of transport and what made the chosen place geographically interesting, important or meaningful to the entrant.
The Young Geographer of the Year competition is run by the Society in conjunction with Geographical and is kindly supported by Esri UK, Ordnance Survey, Philip’s and Cotswold Outdoor.
The deadline for entries is 5pm on Monday 2 October; they can be submitted by individual students or teachers.
