Two of Wales's national winners of Young Reporters in the Environment have won INTERNATIONAL awards, coming first place in two out of eight categories.
Young Reporters for the Environment is an international programme, sponsored by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), which operates in 23 countries throughout the world and is managed in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy and part-funded by Countryside Council for Wales. Secondary school pupils are invited to investigate a local environmental issue, produce a journalistic report or photograph and then report on their findings.
The programme provides pupils with a vision of the professional world of journalism and may inspire them to pursue this as a career. Pupils base their project on one of eight topics, which include: Coastline, Cities, Agriculture and Nature, Climate Change, and Biodiversity.
A National Jury in each country will select the best articles and in May Keep Wales Tidy announced the overall winner as Glyncoed Comprehensive School from Blaenau Gwent with 'Biodiversity or not biodiversity’. The two runners up are Ysgol Gyfun Llangynwyd from Bridgend with ‘Otters under the bridge’ and Ysgol Duffryn Nantlle from Gwynedd with ‘Is pollution damaging our coastline?’.
The three articles were submitted to the International Jury and despite facing stiff competition from 22 other countries, the Welsh winners managed to come first place in two out of the eight subject categories. Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd won the Biodiversity category (joint with Canada) and Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle won the Coastline category.
Congratulations to all pupils involved!
Find out more about the winners here.