A PRESTIGIOUS international prize is helping a young geography student from Rugby to head in the right direction.
Rugby High School student Zoe Parker has been named a winner in the Young Geographer of the Year competition.
Year 12 student Zoe was chosen out of 1,000 finalists as the winner of the Key Stage 5 category.
A spokesperson for the school’s Geography department said they were thrilled to be celebrating Zoe’s ‘remarkable’ achievement.
The competition, run by the Royal Geographical Society, recognises the outstanding work of the next generation of geographers.
The international award has categories spanning the primary years to A Level, and encourages young people to think creatively and analytically about geographical themes.
The theme for 2024 was Choose Geography, with pupils aged from seven to 18 invited to create striking and informative posters that demonstrate the relevance of geography and how studying it can help you understand the world we live in and the global challenges we face as a society.
The judges were looking for creative and engaging posters that highlighted the wide range of jobs that geographers do and how geographers make a difference.
They selected 16 young people for recognition, with two winners and two highly commended entries selected for each age category – with Zoe winning the Key Stage 5 category.
With schools hosting their own heats and submitting only their winners, the 1,000 entries received by the Society represented just a fraction of the overall number of participating students.
Professor Joe Smith, Director of the Society, said: “Congratulations to the winners and everyone who took part in the competition. I am always impressed by the creativity on show in the entries to Young Geographer of the Year, and it is no different this year.
“The students have clearly demonstrated how geographical skills and thinking are vital for addressing global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss, and they give me hope that the next generation of geographers is well equipped to drive forward the changes needed to ensure a sustainable future for us all.”
Zoe was awarded her certificate by Alan Parkinson, the Society’s Vice President for Education, at a ceremony held at the Society.
