Scotland’s Environment Web Competition – extended entry

Scotland’s Environment Web is running an exciting competition for young people, with fantastic prizes, and the closing date for entries has now been extended until 31st March 2014.

What is the competition about?

What needs to change in your local community that will make a difference to your environment and what role can you play in making it happen?

We want you to answer the question above. Tell us how you could make your environment better. Planet Earth faces tough environmental challenges which will directly impact your future. Everyone can be a part of the solution to these challenges and Scotland’s young people have a key role to play.

During our recent Glow Meet, which you can access through Watch Again T.V. at http://bit.ly/SEWeb , you told us how you are already getting involved in caring for and improving Scotland’s environment. 

The extended closing date of 31st March 2014 will provide more opportunity for young people to participate. The awards ceremony will be held in June.

Who can enter?

This competition is open to all young people throughout Scotland between the ages of 5-18, whether through your school, as part of a group or as an individual.

You can also enter the Young Reporters for the Environment competition if you are eligible.

For more information, visit www.environment.scotland.gov.uk/yd

 

 

 

 

 

Further links:

Scotland’s Environment website http://www.environment.scotland.gov.uk/

Scottish environment youth discussion http://bit.ly/19dnExK

Natural Partners: Forests and Education

Forests, trees and woodlands, and all aspects of wood as a material,  offer fantastic opportunities for learning. Explore a number of hands-on activities suitable for all ages e.g. working with wood to  make presents to take away, building bee hives, forest bridge design  and testing, digital games exploring forest  stewardship.

There will be samples of work in progress, by student teachers, in the theme of  STEM: Natural Partners exploring teaching and Learning for  Sustainability.

This event is hosted and designed by students from Moray House  School of Education (Edinburgh University), and staff from Forest  Research and Forestry Commission Scotland. Please do come along and drop in!

SATURDAY 7TH DEC AND SUNDAY 8TH DEC
Time: 12.30 pm-3.30 pm
Location: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Venue: Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway
Age: 5+ALL WELCOME
Booking: No booking required

For further information regarding this event and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh:
http://www.rbge.org.uk/whats-on/event-details/3057

Natural posters (1)

To access last year’s student units of work: 
http://www.ltl.org.uk/resources/results.php?id=716

Languages and STEM skills – opening doors!

SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, is working with businesses and schools in Scotland to promote languages as a key skill for employment.

Operating effectively in a global economy relies on many skills and includes the right language skills. People who can communicate, at least conversationally, can make all the difference in the conduct of business, consolidating relationships with existing suppliers and customers and opening the way to new overseas contacts. When combined with STEM skills, the career opportunities in a vast array of sectors widens.

Key facts from the CBI Education and Skills Survey 2013

Seven out of ten (70%) businesses value foreign language skills among their employees

  • French(49%) and German(45%) are the leading languages in demand, but those geared to businesses in China feature increasingly prominently – of those valuing staff with foreign language skills, 28% value Manderin and 16% Cantonese
  • STEM skills are in high demand and nearly two in five firms (39%) are having difficulties recruiting staff. 41% expect this to persist over the next three years
  • Shortages of STEM qualified technicians (29%) and graduates (26%) are widespread among firms in engineering, hi-tech/IT and science areas
  • Businesses recognise that they have a key role in encouraging more young people to study STEM subjects, enthusing young people about STEM (55%) and working with Universities to ensure the business relevance of the course (50%).

Read about people who have combined their STEM and language skills in the pharmaceutical industry, technologies and the Scottish Football Association and find out why they consider that learning a language is really important.

http://www.scilt.org.uk/Business/Jobprofilesandcareers/tabid/2867/Default.aspx