Coastal Kids Writing Contest unearths creative insights into Climate Change

December 13
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Melbourne (12 Dec) – Students in Year 5 and 6 from Sorrento Primary School in Victoria, Australia and the William Carey Academy in Chittagong, Bangladesh were invited to write a 500-word essay on the topic of “What Climate Change Means to Me, My Community, My Country and My World” as part of the First Annual Coastal Kids Writing competition run by Displacement Solutions.

More than 70 essays were submitted by the students from Sorrento Primary, who range in age from 10 to 12 years old, and were evaluated by a panel of teachers and representatives from Displacement Solutions based on their creativity, quality of writing and genuine effort.

Considering the complex nature of the issue of Climate Change, the panellists were extremely impressed by the students’ insight and grasp of the concept and how it directly affects their environments.

After a lengthy review process, Scott Leckie, on behalf of Displacement Solutions, is delighted to announce five winners of the First Annual Coastal Kids Writing Competition:

Tom Maltby receiving his award

Tom Maltby receiving his award

First Place: Tom Maltby

Second Place: Grace Edwards

Third Place: Markus Christiansen

Honourable Mentions: Patrick Forrester and Tom Pardy

Essays written by students from Sorrento Primary School’s sister school, William Carey Academy in Chittagong, Bangladesh, are currently being reviewed. The winning essays from both schools will be available on the Displacement Solutions website in the coming weeks.

The Coastal Kids project put Australian students living in coastal regions in direct contact with similarly aged children from other countries affected by Climate Change. The Coastal Kids project has been established with students from Australia and Bangladesh and is looking to expand globally in future.

DS Holds First Ever Australia-Bangladesh Skype Conversation for its Coastal Kids Project

September 04
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This year, as part of its Climate Change and Displacement Initiative, Displacement Solutions (DS) has launched the Coastal Kids Project to connect schools and students living in coastal areas in Bangladesh with schools and students in Australia who are also coastal dwellers. Today, 4 September 2012, the much anticipated, first ever Skype conversation between an Australian school (Sorrento Primary School, Victoria) and a Bangladeshi school (William Carey Academy, Chittagong) was facilitated by DS. Designed to increase understanding among all participants about the lives of coastal kids around the world and how climate change is affecting them, this classroom-to-classroom conversation was an exciting and insightful event for students and teachers alike, and was enthusiastically engaged in by all involved.This conversation marks the first of a number of Skype conversations which will be held between these two schools and, in time, similar conversations will be facilitated with schools from other climate-affected countries to further build awareness and engagement with the issue of climate change, and encourage transnational cooperation and learning among coastal kids everywhere. Make sure to keep checking for more news as the Coastal Kids Project continues to progress and expand! For further information, please email info@displacementsolutions.org.

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The Coastal Kids Project Gets Underway

July 12
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DS has continued its work under the Coastal Kids Project with Sorrento Primary School educating students about climate change and its implications for coastal dwellers throughout the world. A short piece about this Project featured in Peninsula Weekly and can be accessed here.

New DS Project – Coastal Kids

November 30
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Nauti Primary School grounds, Funafuti, Tuvalu

One of DS’ latest projects – Coastal Kids – will be starting in earnest in early 2012. The Coastal Kids Project will initially bring schools and students living in coastal areas in Bangladesh, Kiribati and Tuvalu into direct contact with schools and students in Australia who are also themselves coastal dwellers. Using communications technology such as Skype and other forms of internet-based connections and learning, the Coastal Kids Project will bring children from these four countries into direct face-to-face contact during which time they can discuss the reality of climate change, learn how climate change is affecting them and what kids in all of these countries can do to better understand the needs and wishes of coastal kids everywhere. Check here soon for further updates!