Map competition for schools

The Regional Observatory, in association with ESRI (UK), are holding a map-​making competition for schools.

The competition is for school children to make a map of their local area, being as creative as they possibly can -​ glitter, egg boxes, crayons, pens, felt and sticky back plastic are all fair game!

The competition is open to all primary and junior schools in the West Midlands region and we are seeking one entry per school. So, this could be the best map produced by a single member of a class (as a result of your own competition), or it could be a group or an entire class effort.

The aims of the competition are to:

• Encourage children to represent their local environment creatively
• Enhance children's awareness of maps and geography
• Make children more conscious of their local environment
• Raise the profile of geographical information within schools

There will be two competitions; one for Primary age children, one for Junior age children.

The prizes

Winners will be presented with:

• A digital camera, software and printer package for their class/​school
• An atlas
• The winning artwork will feature on our website (www.wmro.org)

Want to take part? The details...

• A variety of media can be used to produce the drawings -​ you can even go 3D if you want to!
• Artwork made using charcoal, pastels, collage, or anything else that rubs off or lifts off easily, must be 'fixed' before being posted.
• A maximum of one entry per school (we suggest that a class might work together to submit an entry, but it could be a single person).
• The maximum size of a map must not exceed A0 (841 mm x 1199 mm or 33 x 46 inches).
• Each map must have the following information on a label attached to the back:
  • Name and age of the child or class and school year
  • School address and contact name, phone number and email
  • Local Education Authority
  • Title of the map

Please email oliver.nicholls@wmro.org as soon as possible to register your intent to submit.

Final entries must then be received by 5pm on Friday 31 October to be eligible. Post to:

GI competition
West Midlands Regional Observatory
Level 3, Millennium Point
Curzon Street
Birmingham, B4 7XG

Judging

Shortlisting will be undertaken by representatives from the Observatory's Geographical Information Topic Group*. The judging will focus on three criteria:

1. Cartographic (map-​making) content (symbols, colours, names, labels, etc.)
2. Imagination
3. Quality of execution

The top 5 entries for each age group will be voted on at the West Midlands Geographical Information day on 19th November. Winners will be notified within 5 working days.

The small print

1. The works become property of the competition and can be used for further exhibitions and for publications.
2. Winners will be asked to be involved in local newspaper coverage and promotion.
3. WMRO cannot accept responsibility for late or lost entries due to the Post Office, other couriers or the Internet. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt.
4. *The competitions will be shortlisted and judged by WMRO staff, Geographical Information Topic Group members or by others at the Observatory's discretion. The judges’ decision will be final and neither they nor WMRO will enter into any correspondence.
5. Winners will be contacted via those who have enrolled them, by email.
6. Winners’ names (but no other identifying data) will be announced on the WMRO website.
7. The prize may be a digital camera and printer of equivalent specification (depending on stocks).