Schools are ‘Universally Challenged’
Schools have been battling out to become the best brains in Warwickshire when it comes to being green.
Six Warwickshire secondary schools - Kenilworth School, Aylesford School, Polesworth International Language College, Southam College, Rugby High School, and Shipston High Shool - came together to compete in the sustainability-based quiz ‘Universally Challenged’.
Based on the format of the popular TV show University Challenge the event was organised by Warwickshire County Council as part of this year’s Switch it Off campaign.
The campaign aims to get across the simple message to turn off unwanted electrical appliances and not to leave anything on standby.
And as part of the climate change message at the heart of Switch it Off the ‘Universally Challenged’ event saw Warwickshire schools invited to enter a team of six Year 8 pupils in the quiz.
The quiz took place at Kenilworth School and consisted of six sustainability-based rounds, which looked at areas such as energy, waste, and travel.
Competition was fierce with just one point separating first and second place positions with the home Kenilworth team taking the top spot followed closely by Rugby High School.
Cllr Martin Heatley, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “This year’s Switch it Off campaign was a huge success and I’m delighted to see the campaign continuing and involving young people from around Warwickshire.
“It may sound like a cliché, but the young people are our future and if we don’t get the message across to them about saving energy and living more sustainably, then the future would look pretty bleak.”
The winning Kenilworth team will now go on to face schools from Coventry and Worcestershire in February at Warwick University for the ‘Universally Challenged’ grand final.
More information on the Switch it Off campaign is available at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/switchitoff