Tag Archives: Commonwealth Games Scotland

Award, Competition, Game On Challenge, Game On Scotland Plaque, Uncategorized

997 and counting…..

Well folks what a summer it has been! The games may be over, but here at Game On Scotland HQ things are still pretty busy as schools across the world continue to share their Commonwealth Games stories with us.

Did you know that over 990 schools and organisations from over 20 countries have registered their Game On Challenge? In actual fact, right now, there are 997! This is just amazing, never in our wildest dreams did we expect so many schools to be so excited about the Games. How exciting it is to see our interactive map peppered with tags, each revealing a unique story.

Do you have what it takes to be the magic 1,000? If so, we have a special prize in store for you! All you have to do is register your Game On Challenge – it takes only a few moments. Go on, you know you want to!

Games Legacy, Glasgow 2014, Legacy 2014, Team Scotland, Uncategorized

Commonwealth Games Success

Just over half way through the biggest multi sporting event every hosted in Scotland the atmosphere in Glasgow as well as other Games and cultural venues is electric and the excitement has reached the hearts and minds of people across all walks of life.
With five exciting competition days still ahead, Team Scotland have already surpassed their previous record of 33 medals won at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in 1986. Some wonderful moments have resulted from the Scottish success with the men’s gymnastics team winning silver, Libby Clegg become the first Scottish track and field athlete to win Gold for over 20 years, Erraid Davies becoming the youngest competitor ever to win a medal and of course the look of disbelief on Ross Murdoch’s face after having won Gold in the 200m breaststroke.
Game On Scotland is particularly delighted for judo gold medallists Louise and Kimberley Renicks, who participated in the our Athlete Visits programme, fitting in a number of school appearances in between training sessions prior to the Games to inspire young people across Scotland. Thank you to both of them!

Many records have been broken over the last 6 days and Game On Scotland is delighted to say that we ourselves have surpassed many of our own targets and expectations after engaging schools, learners and teachers across the world in wider range of learning opportunities connection with over 1 million learners. Our website is the most successful free standing website produced by Education Scotland, receiving over 1.25 million views from over 200,000 unique users since its launch in 2013. It also saw 4,300 people register for regular updates and an estimated 100,000 downloads of teaching materials equating to 1 in every 2 visitors to the site downloading free educational resources.

In the new session Game On Scotland will continue provide opportunities to engage learners by continuing with our athlete visits programme, sharing of case studies, awarding Game On Plaques and offing a number of Glow Meet sessions for learners to speak to those at the heart of the Games.
We hope you enjoyed the Games so far and benefitted from the wider range of offers available through Game on Scotland. We would be delighted to hear some of your stories around the Games, comments you would like
 to pass on or suggestions to make. 

If you wish to find out about the latest opportunities around Game On Scotland make sure you register with us to receive our regular e-updates.

Glasgow 2014, Legacy 2014, Queen's Baton Relay

Latest Commonwealth Games News

Queen’s Baton Relay

Today on day 13 the baton will be in Dundee and has already been spotted by Education Scotland staff (see below image).  

Find out more about the batons exciting journey around Scotland and where you can join in here.

 

 Festival Club Tickets

Tickets for the #Festival2014 Club are now on sale! This is your chance to party under the same roof as Team Scotland at Festival 2014’s official late night venue. We’ll have sets from Ibibio Sound Machine, Peatbog Faeries, The Treacherous Orchestra, Salsa Celtica, The Chills and more. Plus you can enjoy great DJs and treat yourself to a Festival 2014 Commonwealth cocktail!

Tickets available now from: http://www.glasgowconcerthalls.com/?s=festival+club?s=festival+club

Gift of the Games

Glasgow 2014 will share the first-hand thrill of world-class sport with 5000 of the most disadvantaged young people through a ground-breaking programme called Gift of the Games.

With just one month to go, Gift of the Games will ensure thousands of young people who otherwise may not have the opportunity, will now be part of an inspiring day out at Scotland’s biggest-ever sporting and cultural festival.

Young people from every local authority area in Scotland will experience the field-of-play action across a wide range of sports taking place throughout the Games, with transport and meals also provided. Games sponsors and Scotland’s business community are meeting the cost of Gift of the Games. The programme will be delivered through the grassroots network of Bauer Media’s charity, Cash For Kids. Bauer Media joins Glasgow 2014’s sponsor family as an Official Provider of Gift of the Games.

For more information please click here.

Glasgow Airport opportunity

Want to welcome the athletes as they arrive to Glasgow Airport?

Your group can be part of it! From 17 July until 22 July Glasgow Airport are looking for groups of children and young people to come in and give the athletes a warm Scottish welcome. If you are interested please email steven_marshall@glasgowairport.com  with details of your group, number of members, age groups and your availability.

National Lottery Award Finalists

We are delighted to announce that Glasgow 2014 Legacy project Active East has been nominated for the National Lottery Award for Sport. The nomination recognises the work the project does using sport to raise the skills, confidence and wellbeing of young people throughout the east end of Glasgow. Active east have fostered fantastic collaboration among youth and sports organisations and made a difference to the lives of hundreds of young people. It would be great to have a Glasgow 2014 winner of this prestigious UK award, which is decided by public vote. Please vote for Active East and share the link with your friends and family.

Vote here before the 23 July and tweet your support @LottoGoodCauses using the hashtag is #NLAwards

More great seats have become available!

More great seats across a number of sports, including currently unavailable events, have been released. We’ve been able to reallocate these seats to sports fans now that we have final confirmation on the requirements of tour groups, participating nations and territories, sponsors and hospitality clients. We’ve also released a limited number of partial views seats for the Opening Ceremony, with views of the live action but not the big screen backdrop, priced at just £20.

Tickets can be purchased at the Glasgow 2014 Ticketing website or by calling 0800 458 2014 (freephone)

Please also note that reallocated seats will continue to be made available for public sale right up until Games Time so remember to keep checking the Ticketing website.

Follow Glasgow 2014 on Twitter for all the latest updates!

Pride House website

LEAP Sports are proud to be hosting a Pride House in Glasgow during the Commonwealth Games this summer. Located on Albion Street in the heart of the Merchant City, Pride House will play host to a range of sports, cultural and arts events which share as a common theme the vision of breaking down the social and personal barriers which discourage LGBT people across the country from participating in sports.

For full event schedule please visit Pride House website here

Educational resources, Equality and Inclusion, event, Games Legacy, International partnerships, Sport

Spotlight on Australia

Game on Scotland is supporting youngsters across the globe as they explore learning inspired by the XX Commonwealth Games.

In New South Wales there is a real spotlight on Health and Wellbeing. 1st Oak Park Joey Scouts and ensuring youngsters start as they mean to go on by exploring why exercise and healthy diet are important. Knoxfield Primary, Melbourne continue with the Healthy theme, setting themselves a Healthy Eating challenge.  They will also focus on the challenges of countries across the Commonwealth – both the challenges they face within individual countries as well as the challenge to enter a team of athletes to participate in Games events.  Students in Monash Special Developmental School are playing the different Commonwealth sports and St Philip’s Community School are running a two week themed event which has a range of sporting events as well as crafts and afternoon tea – sounds lovely.

In Western Australia Year 1 students are learning about other cultures and developing a greater awareness of tolerance and understanding. By focusing on Commonwealth countries, students can begin to appreciate opportunities available across the world, how they themselves fit into this and how they can use this purposefully as they grow and learn.

In South Australia over 400 students in Risdon Park Primary are buddying up to compete in a Commonwealth Sporting extravaganza. Each class will also research and study a Commonwealth country and share their learning at an assembly. Over in Blackfriars Priory School, there has been an explosion of “Spud-letes”. We were intrigued by the Spud-letes (athletes made from potato). Students are busy creating their Spud-lete, putting together their profile, autobiography, vital statistics etc. Spud-lete’s will represent different Commonwealth countries across a range of events – “Spud-put”, “Spud-vault”. Students will then measure, record and display results alongside their Commonwealth Country statistics and information. Here at Education Scotland we can’t wait to see pictures of the Spud-letic Games, and we will share these with you!

As you might expect, schools in the Queensland area are beginning to get excited about the XX Commonwealth Games and the prospect of them being handed over to GOLD Coast Organising Committee in a few short weeks.

Queensland Department of Education, Training and Employment are already exploring ways in which they can best support students to learn more about the culture, customs and people across the Commonwealth. Their eLearning platform Scootle is already filling up with resources, learning ideas and competitions all aimed at helping students embrace cultural studies of the Commonwealth and develop local community partnerships.

Musgrave Hill and Park Lake State Schools are already hard at work in digital design of a mascot that they hope will be photographed across the Commonwealth. They are keen to compare the view from their own school with those of others across the Commonwealth, discovering similarities and celebrating differences in lifestyle and location. Year 5 students in Bounty Boulevard State School have a 100 days of learning Diary Challenge using the Kids Journal App for iPad. Stories will be shared with buddies in the upper school as well as North Lakes elderly community – where it is hoped students will gain some interesting tales of days gone by. Up on the Sunshine Coast, Glasshouse Country Christian College are holding an Athletics Carnival showcasing a range of Commonwealth events. In preparation for this, students will keep a journal of their training efforts and accomplishments.

Finally, Year 4 students at Mudgeerabab Creek State School have been set a challenge to design a drink bottle suitable for an athlete to use. The bottle needs to be suitable for a range of sports with youngsters drawing on their scientific knowledge of both natural and processed materials in a bid to identify the best option for their bottle. Prototypes will be put to the test during Mudgeeraba Creek’s own Commonwealth Games event as students compete over a range of sporting events.

Wow! We are excited reading about all the interesting activities planned in Australia over the next few weeks and months in celebration of the Games. We are sure that this is the first rung on the exciting ladder leading up to the XXI Commonwealth Games 2018 in Queensland – now less than 3,800 days away!

Early Years, Game On Challenge

Star in Clyde’s Summer Adventure

Are you an Early Years Centre that remains open over the summer period?  Have you shared your commonwealth story by posting a Game On Scotland Challenge?  If so, you are just who we are looking for!

Tell us in no more than 100 words what sort of fun Clyde, the cheeky Glasgow 2014 mascot, could have if he came to stay at your centre for the summer.

Activities, sports, games, trips & all sorts of fun might be taking place,.  If your centre is selected, we’ll send a mimi Clyde to stay with you for the summer.  All we ask is that you record his visit in some way (writing, pictures, photographs, video, etc) and send this to us in August.

In return, we’ll publish some of the high jinks that he gets up to over the summer period on the Game On Scotland website.  What’s more, you’ll be able to keep the mini Clyde as a special gift to remember the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

If you would like to participate, please send us an email including:

Your name, contact details and your 100 word description to enquiries@gameonsctland.org

If you have not shared your Commonwealth story, you can do it easily (it will take less than 5 minutes) Register your Game On Challenge at www.gameonscotland.org

We can’t wait to hear what plans you have in place for Clyde!

Active, Games Legacy, partnership

Commonwealth Games Legacy Week

Initiatives such as engineering, environment and educational projects delivering lasting benefits from Scotland hosting the Commonwealth Games will be celebrated during the second dedicated Legacy Week (9-13 June).

With less than 50 days to go and organisers confident of delivering the greatest ever Games, the nationwide focus on the Games’ wider benefits includes a Legacy 2014 Celebration Event at the Murrayfield Stadium (10 June).

150 people from across Scotland will join Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games Shona Robison; Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive David Grevemberg; Michael Cavanagh, Commonwealth Games Scotland Chairman; and Glasgow City Council’s Councillor Archie Graham to celebrate the achievements of over 50 national Legacy programmes, plus the input from all local authorities in creating a sustainable legacy Scotland wide.

Compered by cyclist and broadcaster Mark Beaumont, the event will include a performance of the ‘Let The Games Begin’, the Glasgow Games’ single by East 40 benefitting one of the Games’ official charity partners, UNICEF.

Legacy Week is a partnership between the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and Glasgow 2014, ahead of the Queen’s Baton Relay arriving in Scotland on 14 June.

Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games and Sport, Shona Robison, said: “The Scottish Government and partners are committed to delivering a positive and lasting legacy from hosting the Games.

“This Legacy Week is another opportunity to promote the successful work which is well underway across the country, ensuring that Glasgow 2014 is about much more than 11 days of scintillating sport, but a catalyst for regeneration and economic growth.

“Our ambition is now to turn a good legacy into a great legacy, securing Scotland’s reputation worldwide as one of the frontrunners in delivering nationwide benefits from hosting a major sporting event.”

David Grevemberg, Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive, said: “Glasgow 2014 and its Games Partners, Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government, firmly believe that legacy doesn’t just happen to you, it happens by you getting involved and making things happen.
 
“The legacy of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games is already apparent and many people are benefitting from the Games by participating in a broad range of successful projects, some of which will be highlighted during this coming week.
 
“Our vision is to create a world-class stage for the elite athletes of the Commonwealth, generate enormous pride in Glasgow and Scotland, and leave a lasting legacy.”

Councillor Archie Graham, Executive Member for the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow City Council, said: “We are just a few weeks away from hosting the biggest sporting event ever to be held in Scotland.

“Legacy Week is a great opportunity for people to find out about the work we’re doing across the city to make sure there is a lasting benefit from the Games.
 
“Glasgow’s preparations for the Games have already left the city better off economically, environmentally and socially. 

“Many of our legacy ambitions have already been delivered such as jobs, apprenticeship and training places for our young people through the council’s ground-breaking £50 million Glasgow Guarantee. 

“All our venues have been built, opened and in use well in advance of the Games.
 
“We want to make sure no one is left behind and Legacy Week is an ideal opportunity to highlight what  communities and groups are doing to make sure they can make the most of this once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Mike Hooper, CEO, Commonwealth Games Federation, said: “The Commonwealth Games Federation is pleased to note the success of the Games Partners to date in ensuring a lasting legacy from Glasgow 2014.

“Indeed the CGF’s Co-ordination Commission has formally congratulated those involved and called it a ‘blueprint for future Games’ in its report on progress towards delivering an outstanding Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer.”

There are over 50 Legacy 2014 national programmes delivered by national partners and more than 70 supporting Legacy 2014 projects in place across Scotland, generating jobs and training opportunities, investing in new or upgraded community facilities, helping people to get more active, and inspiring fun learning opportunities and new global connections.

Glasgow City Council has its own legacy plan and suite of programmes to deliver a sustainable legacy at Glasgow level.

Community Sport Hubs, Game On Scotland, the official education programme for the Games, and the PE Disability Inclusion Training Programme are among those national programmes highlighted during the Murrayfield celebration event. Speakers will include: Scottish Enterprise’s 2014 Director Linda Murray; the founder of Street Soccer Scotland, David Duke; Clyde Gateway CEO, Ian Manson; and Young Scot Youth Legacy Ambassadors.

There are many ways in which people can still get involved in the legacy of the Games. Organisations can apply for Active Places Funding, Community Sport Hubs are available across the country, and people can take part in Games for Scotland and enjoy the events being hosted as part of the nationwide Culture 2014 programme.

Culture 2014, International Education, International partnerships

Letter from (North) America

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This is the first in a brief blog series highlighting how partners across the Commonwealth, and indeed the globe are using Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games as a context for learning.

Coinciding with the award of our first Game On Scotland plaque on foreign soil, we couldn’t resist the temptation to shine a spotlight on one of our Canadian school partners.

For Major Ballachey Elementary School in Brantford Ontario, participation in projects like Game On Challenge and Commonwealth Class provides a fantastically rich opportunity to foster a greater depth global awareness for students. Staff see it as a key component in their drive to cultivate a collective sense of pride and accomplishment for all students.

There is a real passion to share meaningfully with peers across the globe. Major Ballachey students decided the best way to do this was to create a series of short videos documenting life in and around the school. These provided the gateway to further collaboration with other Commonwealth schools.

Commonwealth Class has provided an unprecedented opportunity for students to interact directly with their peers across the globe. Participation in debates across international borders is invaluable as students strive to understand that the richness of our multiple identities are fundamental to the Commonwealth’s principles and approaches.

The Commonwealth is close to the heart for students at Major Ballachey. Located in Brantford, which itself is close to Hamilton, recognised as the birthplace of the British Empire Games, now the Commonwealth Games. This ensures students have a keen eye on the forthcoming games, the athletes and of course the VIP Baton event at which they were awarded their Game On Scotland plaque by Cabinet Secretary, Ms Shona Robison.

Award, Competition, Game On Challenge, Games Legacy

Legacy Ticket Rewards

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We are very excited today to share news about our Game On Scotland Ticket Rewards.

There are different categories of reward
• Game On Challenge – Reward Ballot
• Case Study Initiative – Competitive Selection
• Programme Elements Rewards

More information on these great opportunities is available here.

Don’t forget, it is not too late to enter your own Game On Challenge, or to share your inspirational Case Study (word file available on the main Legacy Ticket page from the link above).

Another inspirational way for you and the young people you work with to get the best from the fantastic opportunities available through Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Competition, Game On Challenge, Games Legacy, Legacy tickets

Case Study Incentive

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We are extremely grateful to those of you who have shared inspirational Case Studies. As a “thank you” to you, we have approximately 70 reward tickets up for grabs. These tickets will be decided by Competitive Selection.

Schools and youth groups which provide a case study of their Games-related work will be rewarded with up to 10 tickets for one session at the Games.

These will be tickets for the Opening or Closing Ceremony or alternatively for a highly desirable sport session.

If you wish to submit a case study, please complete the form available here by Friday 30th May to be in with a chance to win one of these exciting prizes (conditions apply).

Good Luck!

Game On Challenge, Game On Scotland Plaque, Games Legacy, International Education, International partnerships, Queen's Baton Relay, The Commonwealth Class

Game On Scotland Plaques Go International

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Trailblazers from a Highland primary joined in an online Commonwealth Games celebration with the first Canadian schools to get Game On Scotland awards.

Thanks to a virtual link up, Crown Primary School pupils in Inverness are able to swap experiences with three schools successfully being awarded Game On Scotland plaques in Toronto. Taking the total number of plaques awarded to over 100.

Crown Primary was the first worldwide to receive a Game On Scotland plaque, presented by Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games and Sport, Shona Robison, last November so it was especially exciting for the youngsters to witness the first ever presentation of a Game On Scotland plaque abroad.

Ms Robison presented the schools with plaques on 1st May at Toronto’s Ryerson University. The Cabinet Secretary was on an official visit to Canada, coinciding with the Queen’s Baton Relay being in the country.

The awards and live link up came during a British Council-organised Commonwealth Sports Day in Toronto, a stopping point of the Queen’s Baton Relay. They are part of Commonwealth Class, a Supporting Legacy 2014 project, that is endorsed by Game On Scotland.

Inverness pupils and Canadian counterparts were able to put questions to the Cabinet Secretary as well as interact with Canadian athletes who will be coming to Glasgow to compete this summer.

The Highlands are twinned with Canada as part of the Support A 2nd Team initiative.

Ms Robison said: “It is fantastic to see the Game On Scotland precedent that was set so ably by Crown Primary School, being followed up today with these plaque awards in Toronto, among the first internationally.

“The Commonwealth Games is an inspirational springboard for learning activities around global citizenship, and encouraging young people to strive to be the very best they can be.

“Thanks to programmes like Commonwealth Class, and Support a 2nd Team, links can be forged across continents which I hope will endure as a lasting legacy beyond the Games.”

Game On Scotland provides a unique platform for schools and organisations to share their Commonwealth learning activities with an international audience. Over 700 schools and organisations across the globe have set themselves a challenge inspired by the sporting spectacle of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

It is so exciting to read of the creative and exciting learning opportunities for young people globally, to understand how the Commonwealth Games is an inspiration to them and gain insight into things which are important to them. There are so many really creative approaches to using the Commonwealth Games as a context for learning and we would like to share a few with you.

As a result of Game On Scotland, learners in Nyarach Primary School, Kenya will hold their first ever Sports day. In contrast, St. Francis Nursery and Primary School, Nigeria are keen to understand the importance of being part of Commonwealth. In the aspect of oneness, being connected together as part of the Global Village.

Bogra Zilla School in Bangladesh hope their links with a partner school will help them develop a deeper bond of brotherhood across the distance. There is a focus on Culture, of the educational ties between them as well as challenging one another in a mini games.

Milford School in Aukland, New Zealand are writing and performing a school production based on their journey to the Commonwealth Games. En-route, children will perform dances and musical items representing a range of countries as they investigate the true meaning of being involved in an event such as the Commonwealth Games.

Highgate International School in Cyprus have learners from 29 different nationalities. They are inspired by the Commonwealth Games to find out more about Scotland – its geography and rich history, putting famous explorers, inventors and sports stars in the spotlight.

With over 25 International partners representing a number of Commonwealth nations and territories already on the map there has never been a better time to make use of the advances in technology. There are fabulous opportunities for our learners to make connections with their peers around the world.

The British Council have over 80 years’ experience in promoting international cultural relationships whilst through BBC Commonwealth Class, learners from around the globe can link up to debate topical issues or embark on special projects.

Our message today is “it’s not too late to get involved!” Set your challenge where you are at, learners from Iochdar School, South Uist are particularly interested in the challenges facing rural communities across the Commonwealth. They want to encourage their community to develop a healthier lifestyle through a variety of physical challenges.

Whatever your challenge, big or small we would like you to share it with us giving your young people an opportunity to learn more about the values that shape our Commonwealth in 2014. In doing so, you can join Crown Primary, their Canadian partners and over 100 other education establishments in being awarded a Game On Scotland plaque in recognition of your achievements.