In a ceremony held on Wednesday morning at Xrobb l-Ghagin Park and Sustainable Development Centre, 8 Maltese students were presented with various awards for their journalistic entries that placed amongst the top entries submitted from ten countries, two schools from Gozo were among the winners.

In the section for Articles 11-14 years, the EkoSkola Committee. Gozo College, Victoria was placed 1st nationally and 3rd place Internationally with their entry ‘The Whole Town’s on Board – Are You?’

A photograph entered by the EkoSkola team of the Gozo College Boys’ Secondary Victoria, won second place on the ‘Wrigley Litter less Campaign 2012 – 2013? in the category ‘Photos 11-14 years.’

Awards were also presented to students for their local winning entries in the YRE-Wrigley Litterless campaign. The Minister for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change Leo Brincat, presented the students with the awards.

The YRE (Young Reporters for the Environment) Programme is another Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) programme supported by Nature Trust (Malta), whereby students explore environmental and sustainable development issues through cross-curricular projects. Secondary, post-secondary and university students carry out journalistic investigations about an environmental issue and then report it to the local community via their preferred media.

As from 2011, Wrigley Company Foundation started a 3 year-sponsorship scheme with the Eco-Schools and YRE programmes on an international basis. Malta joined 9 other countries in the second year through the YRE programme, and will be participating again during the scholastic year 2013-2014.

Participants in the Litter Less Campaign investigated a local litter issue, such as the effect of litter on local wildlife or human health. Students assembled a journalistic production in the form of articles, photographic reportage, or video clips. The production had to include suggestions for solutions on minimising litter.

Malta’s participation this year resulted in getting three 3rd place awards in each of the 11-14 year old categories (i.e. photo, video and article entries). All national winners (8 in total) will be participating in an international mission, where 90 winners from all over the world will meet and participate in an environment mission organised by YRE International. Dates and place are still to be confirmed.

Local prizes included tablets and cash prizes. WasteServ ltd have also sponsored the programme and donated a full camping kit to the entry that put most emphasis on reducing and reusing. Nectar Ltd have also sponsored the campaign and donated an iPod and Digital Cameras to two of the entries. International winners and their supporting schools have also been given cash prizes by Wrigley company Ltd. (International).

All entries can be viewed on the local website:- http://www.yremalta.org/. For more information contact YRE on yre@naturetrustmalta.org or on NTM tel no 21313150.

The prize winners are as follows:

Articles 11-14 years

1st place nationally, 3rd place Internationally:- The Whole Town’s on Board – Are You? EkoSkola Committee. Gozo College, Victoria

2nd place:- Heritage in Peril – A Tale of Two Buildings. Andrew Thake. St Edward’s College, Vittoriosa

3rd place:- EkoSkola: What We Did. Mathea Saliba. St Monica School, Gzira

Articles 15-18 years

1st place:- Organic Waste Management. EkoSkola Committee. Archbishop’s Seminary School, Rabat

2nd place:- Litter: If You are Not Part of the Solution You are Part of the Problem…Are You? – Tyrone Grech, Ryan Pisani Nathan Spiteri, Alessandro D’Amato, Stefano Grech, Jayden Lee Curmi, Charlie Curmi, Dario Sapiano, Jean Paul Sant. St Theresa College, Boys’ Secondary School, Birkirkara

Photos 11-14 years

1st place nationally, 3rd place internationally :- Where Flowers Don’t Grow. Mattia Agius Muscat. St Edward’s College, Vittoriosa

2nd place:- Suicide Tree. Janice Bugeja, Mariah Attard. St Clare College, Girls’ Secondary School, Pembroke

2nd place:- Batterona Campaign? EkoSkola Committee. Gozo College, Boys’ Secondary School, Victoria

Photos 15-18 years

1st place:- So Goatilicious! Maria Bella Muscat, Yanika Micallef. St Nicholas College, Girls’ Secondary School, Rabat

2nd place:- Shame Shame Shame! Karl Buhagiar. St Michael’s School, Santa Venera

Videos 11-14 years

1st place and Nectar Ltd prize:- A Constant Fight – Litter in Malta. Luigi Dimech. St Edward’s College, Vittoriosa

1st place nationally, 3rd place internationally and Nectar Ltd prize:- The Non-Sticky News. Sephora Scicluna.

3rd place:- Let’s Make the World a Better Place to Live. Jasmine Bartolo. St Joseph School, Paola

Videos 15-18 years

1st place:- Saving Nature in 3 Minutes. Martina Mifsud, Celine Camilleri, Graziella Chetcuti, Angelina Yurieva Dimitrova. St Margaret College, Girls’ Secondary School, Zejtun

2nd place:- Do’s and Don’ts of Recycling. Nicole Buttigieg. St Margaret College, Girls’ Secondary School, Zejtun

Videos 19-21 years

1st place and WasteServ prize:- The Double Sided Reality. David Ellul, Jean Claude Schembri, Johann Camilleri, Roderick Baldacchino, Tonio Farrugia. Zejtun Eco Centre

Permalink: 2 Gozo schools win ‘Young Reporters for the Environment’