It’s Our Future
It's Our Future
The Scottish Executive's It's Our Future schools competition was devised as a pilot to see what kind of work for the environment was going on in Scotland's schools. The response has been very encouraging with 150 schools sending in applications.
The competition rewarded projects which raised awareness of the environment and showed pupils how they are affecting the world around them.
When the winners were announced, Stephen Dunn, ScottishPower's Director of HR and Communications, revealed that ScottishPower was keen to support the event again.
A school that makes and sells its own bags to discourage people from using plastic carriers was one of the winners of the It's Our Future competition. Prize winning eco-conscious primary pupils scooped £2,000 for their school by showing how they are helping to save the planet.
Pupils at Dunbog Priary School , Newburgh , Fife , designed their own bags in an attempt to minimise waste and encourage people to reduce, reuse and recycle. Their Bags for Life were showcased as part of an in-school eco day during Enterprise Week, and have since been on sale at a local farmers' market - selling 800 bags in the community.
Newfield Primary School earned a special mention for scooping the top prize in the Energy category of the It's Our Future competition. The children's Energy Action Project - an in-school initiative designed to conserve energy around the school and save on daily resources such as power and water - won them £2,000. The school now plans to invest the prize money in further improving energy efficiency by replacing the fittings on lighting strips and putting the rest towards introducing solar panels and wind turbines.
As he announced the winners, Environment Minister Ross Finnie said: "Scots schoolchildren are showing leadership in the way they embrace the environmental challenges facing us all and I urge others to do the same. The standard of the applications has been outstanding.
"We all need to act to protect our future. It is important that each person looks at their behaviour when at work, at home and at leisure to see where we can reduce our impact on the planet. We all need to recognise that it's our future, and start to translate our intentions into action."
Other winning schools:
Middlefield Primary School , Danestone, Aberdeen , for its Walking Bus project that encouraged walking to school and showed the benefits to the environment by doing so.
Grantown Primary School , Grantown on Spey, for its Organic Vegetable Garden and Farmer's Market.
Longforgan Primary School , Longforgan, Dundee , for its Bogle Burn Trail.
