Sky, WWF and Global Action Plan join forces to challenge UK schools

Sky, WWF and Global Action plan have launched a new online resource, the Sky Rainforest Rescue Schools Challenge that will challenge primary and secondary school students to reduce their carbon footprint in order to help protect the rainforest.

The Sky Rainforest Rescue Schools Challenge will encourage schools to be more aware of the food we eat, the energy we use and the stuff we buy. It will integrate into the curriculum, covering subjects such as geography, citizenship, science and numeracy. Using an array of teaching resources and interactive learning tools, teachers will be able to help their students come up with a practical plan of action tailored to their school.

Teacher, Polly Shoebridge at Lampton School, said of the challenge: "When we found out about the Sky Rainforest Rescue Schools Challenge, we jumped at the chance to be involved. The initiative is incredibly interactive and really gets the students engaged - the environment is a topic they all feel very passionate about, and the project enables students to become more aware of the issues surrounding climate change."

Each week, the team that takes the most action will receive a Flip Video Camcorder. At the end of the first challenge year, which will finish in June 2011, each team will not only receive feedback from the Sky Rainforest Rescue Schools Challenge team on how ‘rainforest-friendly’ they’ve become, but also qualify for the grand prize. The best team from each UK country and the Republic of Ireland will win their school £1,000 or 1,150 Euros for the Republic of Ireland. The overall winning team will have the opportunity to present their ideas to key political decision makers, and have the experience captured by a Sky film crew.

"Every minute of every day, an area larger than three football pitches is lost from the Amazon rainforest. It's a bit scary to think about, but there are practical ways in which schools can help. We always encourage people to take easy steps to help the environment and having worked with schools for years, we’re confident that the children who are involved now, will be better equipped to create a sustainable future. One with thriving, valued rainforests," said Trewin Restorick, CEO of Global Action Plan.

More than 700 schools in the UK and the Republic of Ireland have already pre-registered for the Sky Rainforest Rescue Schools Challenge, but it’s not too late for more schools to sign up at www.skyrainforestrescueschoolschallenge.org.

The Sky Rainforest Rescue Schools Challenge sits alongside Sky and WWF’s three year campaign to protect one billion trees in the Amazon rainforest.