Wrexham high school students celebrating after winning top award in global environmental competition

Students at a Wrexham high school are celebrating after scooping the top International Collaboration prize in the final of a global environmental reporting competition.

Ysgol Clywedog’s Eco-Action Taskforce Group, made up of twenty five students from year 7 through to 11, have been working for the past year on their video entry to the International Collaboration category of the Young Reporter for The Environment (YRE) Competition, in conjunction with their partner school, Colegio Enriquez Soler in Melilla in Spain.

The students’ winning video entitled ‘Plastic Waste – An Intercontinental Problem’ highlights the damaging and long-term impact of single use plastics on the environment.

Dr Christian Dunn from Bangor University, one of the country’s leading experts in micro plastics, and Helen Tandy, Chair, Chester & District Friends of the Earth, both lent their support to the video.

The shortlisted entries were assessed virtually by the competition’s International Jury, comprising experts from across the spheres of environmental journalism, corporate social responsibility, and Education for Sustainable Development.

Nicholas Brown, head of geography, said: “Qualifying as a finalist after winning the nationals earlier this month, where they were up against 182 entries from 31 countries, was an amazing achievement in itself, so to win in the finals really is a triumph.

“At the start of the project, our students looked back at last year’s competition winner and were doubtful about doing a similar or better job, but they have proved to themselves that they absolutely can do it, and win!

“They have competed on the world stage against students from all backgrounds which is a real confidence boost and I have no doubt that this experience, and working in collaboration with overseas students, will stand them in good stead for their future.

“I’m looking forward to getting everyone back together and planning our entry for next year’s competition. We have developed a solid relationship with the students in Spain who are keen to continue working with us, so I am excited to see what we can achieve next.”

To get the project off the ground, students communicated their ideas to each other using web chats, mainly via Zoom. Fortunately, both teams had Spanish and English-speaking students.

After creating a storyboard for the video, the teams filmed their respective pieces and the Ysgol Clywedog students undertook the editing.

The Young Reporter for The Environment (YRE) Competition forms part of the school’s Eco-Action Taskforce Group’s wider Tyfu (Grow) project which has achieved numerous other accolades since it started in September 2019, including: the Woodland Trust Green Tree Gold School Award; Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots Silver Award; The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) School Bronze Award and the Eco-Schools Bronze Award, as well as securing funding from MBNA and Airbus UK.

Having already planted 250 trees in a nearby field, the group has ambitious plans for the coming year involving the completion of the school’s allotment area, planting heritage apple, pear and cherry trees in conjunction with Brymbo Heritage Orchard Project, and working towards the school’s first Green Flag Award as part of Eco-Schools.

You can view the students’ winning video, here.