Winners announced in national schools competition to ‘Shape the Future’
Young people from around the world attended DFID's #YouthforChange event.
Justine Greening and Freida Pinto meet with the #YouthForChange team. Picture: Russell Watkins/DFID
Students from Castle Park Primary School in Kendal, Cumbria have won the Department for International Development’s annual ‘Shape the Future’ competition, International Development Secretary Justine Greening revealed today.
Announced at the department’s #YouthForChange summit, supported by actress and campaigner Freida Pinto, the contest challenged UK schoolchildren to submit their best ideas on how to improve the life chances of girls and women in developing countries.
Freida Pinto joined Justine Greening to support #YouthForChange. Picture: Russell Watkins/DFID
Too often, girls and women in developing countries are robbed of their future by child marriage, lack of education and the daily threat of violence.
The campaigns and ideas set out at #YouthForChange will be presented at the UK’s Girl Summit 2014 where political leaders, celebrities and campaigners from around the world will gather on Tuesday 22 July to build international support for ending female genital mutilation and child, early and forced marriage in a generation.
Announcing the results of the Shape the Future competition, Justine Greening said:
When I visit schools across the UK I am always struck by how much young people care about what is going on in the rest of the world.
The excellent entries to this year’s Shape the Future competition show that British schoolchildren understand the challenges facing girls and boys in developing countries. Young people are the change-makers of tomorrow and Castle Park’s entry shows that they want to be part of the solution for a better future.
Huge congratulations to everyone who took part. Together we can create a world where all girls and women fulfil their potential free from discrimination and violence.
Schools across the country entered this year’s Shape the Future competition, and 2 others reached the final at #YouthForChange – Raynes Park High School in South West London and St Swithun’s School in Winchester, Hampshire. The winners were chosen by panel of young people and development experts at the #YouthforChange summit.
Mark Anderson, Managing Director of Pearson UK, which helped to deliver the competition, said:
Congratulations to Castle Park Primary School, Kendal, the winners of this year’s Shape the Future competition, and to everyone who took part.
We are delighted that there were so many excellent and inspiring entries. This competition shows just how aware students are of challenges facing their peers around the world, and how committed they are to making real, lasting and positive change in their global society.
At Pearson we believe that supporting young people to engage with, and think critically about, global issues is an important part of their education, now and in the future.
Notes to editors
- Competition winners Castle Park Primary School in Kendal, Cumbria explored how education can make the world a better place by giving girls and women voice, choice and control over their * lives. Their video entry compared the achievement of equal rights for women in Britain with the reality of forced marriage, illiteracy, extreme poverty and a lack of education facing girls and women in developing countries.
- Highly Commended Raynes Park High School in South West London addressed challenging questions about girls’ education, early and forced marriage and FGM in their video entry to promote gender equality.
- Highly Commended St Swithun’s School in Winchester, Hampshire identified girls’ education as the solution to improving life for girls and women in developing countries. Their video entry suggested ways to raise global awareness of the importance of education.
- Pearson is delivering the competition in conjunction with some other members of the consortium that is delivering the Global Learning Programme in England.
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