News from the Blencathra Centre - June 2011
The Blencathra Centre hosted the Geographical Association Worldwise Challenge from the 13th-15th May 2011.
The skies during the weekend of 13th-15th May were predominantly grey, but this didn't stop 12 teams of three students from thoroughly enjoying the 2011 Worldwise Challenge competition, held at the FSC Blencathra Centre.
All the schools attending had been invited as a reward for their engagement and high levels of participation in a range of other geographical activities: the Local Quiz, the Online Quiz, My Places and Geography Awareness Week. These are all free to participate in and part of Worldwise, an initiative led by the Geographical Association to promote geography within schools and get students excited about the subject.
The challenge for the weekend was to find out 'What makes the area around Blencathra a special place?' After getting to know each other on the Friday evening, the teams spent Saturday undertaking a range of fieldwork activities, exploring the area from a geographical perspective.
They gathered a variety of evidence for Blencathra's 'specialness' from visits to Low Bridge End Farm at St. John's-in-the-Vale and Castlerigg stone circle, and from an ascent of Latrigg that provides such stunning views of Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite from one side and Blencathra mountain and Skiddaw from the other.
On Sunday morning each team gave a creative oral and visual presentation to a panel of judges comprising a combination of GA Worldwise volunteers, FSC Blencathra staff and a number of specially invited guests.
The overall winners of the 2011 Blencathra Worldwise Challenge trophy were St. Mary's Catholic Comprehensive School from Menston near Leeds (see photo). Inverkeithing High School from Fife in Scotland received the award for best team in the field and the award for best presentation went to Witchford Village College, Ely.
The standard was extremely high from all schools taking part, and the weekend was agreed by all to be a fun, challenging and truly memorable occasion.
Bob Sugden is the Geography Subject Leader at the winning St. Mary’s School: “As teachers and the GA our role is to inspire students and ensure the future health of the subject to the next generation. Worldwise Challenge is a fantastic concept which does just that.”
“The weekend was a fabulous opportunity for our students and I was really struck by the enthusiasm and time given by the GA team. We were thrilled to win, of course, and you can be sure that it has inspired a small group of future geographers.”
Tim Foster, Head of Centre (79601)
