Pupils from Highbridge’s King Alfred School are among five schools getting ready to enter the ‘Dragons’ Den’ as finalists of the EDF Energy Somerset Green Schools Challenge.
Youngsters from King Alfred School have joined pupils from Ansford Community College in Castle Carey, Crispin School in Street, and both Castle School and Heathfield Community School in Taunton in reaching the final of the challenge, which is to develop an innovative low carbon project that benefits their school.
Now they stand a chance of winning a share of £15,000 for their school to help turn their ideas into reality.
All Somerset County Council secondary schools were invited to enter the challenge, with five making next month’s final.
Each will send a small team of students to pitch their ideas in a ‘Dragons’ Den’ style judging day at Somerset Cricket Club in Taunton on Thursday, June 9th.
On the judging panel will be Lord Cameron of Dillington, Rupert Cox, Chairman of Somerset Chamber of Commerce, Somerset environmentalist Julia Hailes MBE and Darren Towers, EDF Energy’s Head of Sustainability.
EDF Energy’s Darren Towers said: “Very well done to the five schools through to the final of the challenge and to all those who’ve taken part.”
“The initial ideas from all the finalists are really exciting and well thought through. I’m very much looking forward to the judging and to see how the students have developed those plans further. It’s going to be a tough competition to judge.”
Lord Cameron added: “I’m really looking forward to getting to grip with the ideas of these Somerset youngsters. I’m sure we face some tough decisions on judging day but we want these projects to be sustainable showcases of what schools can achieve, and I’m sure they can become just that.”
The EDF Energy Somerset Green Schools Challenge is being run through EDF Energy’s programme for greener schools. Through the challenge, students learn about climate change and sustainability, as they develop projects with a positive environmental impact on their school or local community.
